Bisphenol A (BPA) Detection and Quantification in Plastic Bottles using Vertical Cultivation

Abstract

Allium Cepa (Onion) is the most extensively produced vegetable in the Kurdistan region, with high production and resistance to environmental conditions. Considering its sensitivity to contaminants, it is commonly used for monitoring or testing environmental pollutants. Drinking water bottles made from polycarbonate plastics containing bisphenol A (BPA) are utilized. In the developing Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, there is an increasing issue of plastic bottle pollution. BPA traces have been found in bottled water samples.  BPA release was assessed using HPLC in a vertical growing system with bulbs of the Allium Cepa plant placed in these plastic bottles and monitored growth. Vertical culture was discovered to have a low concentration of BPA in the plant cells than horizontal culture in soil, making it a safe growing method under certain climatic circumstances. The mean concentration of BPA in vertical cultivation is 0.19ug/ml (3.8ng for a 20uL injection), and the Limit of Quantification (LOQ) is 0.63ug/ml (12.7ng for a 20uL injection).