Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

To Whom It May Concern:

Hi! I am a sophomore at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. I am currently in the Scientific Research class at the school and I am currently at a point in my research where I could use the advice of a person of knowledge in my field of study and also some advice about my procedures.

The experiment I want to conduct involves Bisphenol A. I want to test and quantify which brand of plastic containers releases the greatest amount of BPA when placed and heated in a common household microwave. After researching on the internet, I know that I most likely will need a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer to measure the release of BPA from plastic containers. The question I have is how will I collect samples of BPA’s after heating in the microwave and how exactly can I quantify the release of these chemicals. Because I would need to analyze my samples in a GC and mass spectrometer, I would be very interested in seeing this instrumentation and observe it in action as it runs and makes its analysis. Would you be able to answer a couple of questions for me? Also , do you have access to a GC and MS that I may possibly be able to see when samples are being analyzed. Ultimately, I would like to find a facility that would be able to analyze my samples if possible.

Any help or advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. If you are unable to assist me, could you refer me to any colleagues of yours who may be able to help.

Sincerely,

Saral Jalan

Hi Saral Jalan -
With Bisphenol A present as a monmer in polycarbonate and an epoxy lining in food and beverage containers of consumer products we are all interested in your project. as we are all exposed. You have done your homework and know that a ppb measurement uses HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), GC-MS (Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry) as the sophiticated instrument of choice. Thermo Electron Company may be able to direct you to help in your area for GC-MS instruments. http://www.thermo.com/.

Alternatively, an indirect scientific approach to study of BPA would be to use microwave exposed water to BPA free bottles ( Dr. Brown's BPA-Free Bottles 3-pk. - 8 oz. $12.99 @ Target) and BPA containing bottles (triangle with a 7 contain from 3 ppb new to 26 ppb scratched and worn) and expose living organisms (fruit flies or fish available at your pet store) to observe and record changes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4111260.stm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 225715.htm

Valuable Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_a
http://www.bisphenol-a.org
Good luck!

Saral,

Your best bet for getting access to the equipment you need is to find out what equipment is available at the local community colleges, colleges, and universities near where you live. This page may be helpful: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... tors.shtml. GC-MS and HPLC are fairly common equipment in college laboratories, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if a college or university near you had these instruments. If you live in the San Franciso/Oakland/San Jose area, I would highly recommend contacting the Synopsys Outreach Foundation by emailing [email protected].

I wanted to mention one quick thing on microwaves. Microwave ovens have microwave magnetic maximums and minimums at points throughout the microwave. To apply the same amount of microwave power consistently to each bottle you will need to make sure to put them in the same place in the microwave. I suggest marking the position of the plate that rotates when the microwave is stopped and where the bottle will go. If you need any additional information on microwaves, it is my expertise so feel free to ask! Good luck!
Heidi

Experiments analyzing trace contaimination are extremely challenging. Just because you end up with something, figuring out where it came from can be difficult. The amount of controls required are significant.

If you are looking for something coming off an open container in a microwave oven, there are lots of places it can end up. Choosing where and how you look for it is more an art than a science. If you are interested in this kind of an experiment, then you really need to hook up with some university research group and work with them on what they are interested in. Lab hygene is extremely critical in dealing with trace investigations. Anybody using the same equipment or working in the same lab can easily contaminate your results by accident.

Capturing trace is also an art. You have to be extremely careful so that whatever method you utilize is representative and accurately models whatever real world situation you are attempting to investigate.

Hi,

Thank you All for your relpys.

If I were to experiment the release of BPA in a microwave, do you have any idea how I could quantify the release of BPA's.
In other words, how can I make samples of BPA release, that I can measure at a HPLC orf GC-MS?

Any advice will help a lot.

Saral Jalan