The impact of plastic food and drink packaging toxicants on unexplained female infertility will be investigated by University of Newcastle researchers.
Dr Jessie Sutherland, of HMRI's Women's Health program, has been awarded a $1 million Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant through the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Emerging evidence highlights the pressing issue of plastic toxicants, bisphenols — specifically BPA, BPS, and BPF— used in food and beverage packaging and their transfer into our food and drinks, which poses significant health risks, particularly for egg quality and female fertility.
In Australia, bisphenol contamination in food remains largely unregulated. Currently the 'safe' daily intake for BPA is 250,000-fold higher than the recommended level set for Europe.
The multidisciplinary research team will determine the explicit risks these toxicants pose to egg health and fertility and explore whether enhanced consumer awareness and informed clinical and regulatory practice can prevent these risks.
Through this research, the Newcastle team, in collaboration with leading experts from across Australia, aims to establish evidence-based safe exposure levels for bisphenols, inform policy changes, and improve health outcomes related to female infertility.
HMRI is a partnership between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and the community.
