Antonia Calafat
From the Special Topic of
Bisphenol A
The paper "Urinary concentrations of bisphenol A and
4-nonylphenol in a human reference population" (Calafat
AM, et al., Environ. Health Perspect. 113[4]:
391-5, April 2005) is a key paper in the Research Front Map
on Bisphenol A, with 113 cites. In
Essential Science IndicatorsSMfrom
Thomson
Reuters, it is also a Highly Cited Paper in the field
of Environment & Ecology.
The lead author of this paper is Dr. Antonia Calafat. Her record in our
database includes 111 papers cited a total of 2,132 times between January
1, 1999 and April 30, 2009. Dr. Calafat is a Lead Research Chemist in the
Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch of the CDC's National Center for
Environmental Health.
In the interview below, she talks
with ScienceWatch.com about the paper and its
impact on bisphenol A toxicology.
Would you please describe the significance of
your paper and why it is highly cited?
This manuscript reported the first data on human exposure to Bisphenol A
(BPA) in the United States. Specifically, our data were the first to
confirm that exposure to BPA occurs among a diverse non-occupationally
exposed group of US adults.
How did you become involved in this research, and
were there any particular successes or obstacles that stand
out?
"Biomonitoring provides an
integrated measure of exposure from all
sources and routes, and is a useful approach
for investigating human exposure to
environmental chemicals, including bisphenol
A."
Biomonitoring (i.e., measurement of environmental chemicals, their
metabolites, or specific reaction products in human biological specimens
such as blood or urine) to assess internal exposure (i.e., body burden) has
increased considerably in the last few decades. Advanced laboratory science
(i.e., highly sensitive, specific, and selective analytical methods) is
essential for assessing human exposure to these chemicals. Using
state-of-the-art analytical techniques, the Environmental Health Laboratory
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts the most
extensive assessment of the exposure of the general US
population to bisphenol A and other selected environmental chemicals
using biomonitoring.
Where do you see your research and the broader
field leading in the future?
Biomonitoring provides an integrated measure of exposure from all sources
and routes, and is a useful approach for investigating human exposure to
environmental chemicals, including bisphenol A. Biomonitoring’s value
lies in decreasing the uncertainty of assessing human exposure, and in
vastly improving the ability to make timely and appropriate public health
decisions. Biomonitoring, however, is only one of the tools that can be
used to assess exposure; others include collecting exposure
history/questionnaire information, and environmental monitoring. The most
comprehensive approach for exposure assessment would combine biomonitoring,
environmental monitoring, and exposure history/questionnaire data.
What are the implications of your work for this
field?
The probability of nonoccupational human exposure to chemicals such as BPA
is high given their high production volumes and extensive use in consumer
products. However, many sources of exposure to some of these chemicals,
especially those that are not considered "active" in a given commercial
product, are unknown. Additional research is needed to identify all sources
and pathways of human exposure to these widely used chemicals.
Furthermore, although some of these chemicals are toxic in experimental
animals, the potential adverse health effects of these compounds in humans
are largely unknown. The CDC’s internal dose measurements of
bisphenol A and other environmental chemicals are useful for determining if
the target chemical is being absorbed into the body. If so, further
research is necessary to associate these internal levels with dose and
potential health outcomes.
Antonia Calafat
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention
National Center for Environmental Health
Division of Laboratory Sciences
Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch
Atlanta, GA, USA
Swan SH, et. Al., "Decrease in anogenital distance
among male infants with prenatal phthalate exposure,"
Environ. Health Perspect. 113(8): 1056-61, August
2005.
Antonia Calafat's featured
paper in the Research Front map titled,
"Bisphenol
A," for this special topic with 113 cites to
date:
Calafat A, et al., "Urinary concentrations of
bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol in a human reference
population," Environ. Health Perspect. 113(4):
391-5, April 2005.