Quantifying an environmental contaminant in exposed regenerating planaria and earthworms found on the SUNY New Paltz campus

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common organic synthetic compound that is used during many manufacturing processes for plastics, makeup and the lining of cans, to name a few1. Due to its wide-spreed use, over time it has become a large supply chain contaminant. Studies have found that BPA is present as a pollutant in our environment including in waterways, blood and urine2. Currently many of the effects of this compound are unknown but some have been studied through controlled exposure experiments on living organisms. To aid in the understanding of the effects of BPA on the environment, we have used Planaria, model organisms that contain regenerative properties. These worms were exposed to 1 μM concentrations of a deuterated form of BPA, d8BPA, and observed over a 14 day period. Extracts obtained from planaria harvested following exposure were characterized. To quantify the amount of retention of d8BPA, signals from extracts were normalized to a set of standards and to the weight of the worm pellet. Earthworms exposed to d8BPA were also studied. Earthworms that had no laboratory exposure to d8BPA were found to have small concentrations of BPA during analysis. Earthworms exposed to 0.5 μM, 1 μM and 2 μM d8BPA were found to retain some of the compound, as determined through extraction and analysis.