Unair Research: BPA in Refillable Gallons Linked to Allergy Risk
INFO TEMPO – The Faculty of Public Health (FKM) at Universitas Airlangga (Unair) has found a statistically significant correlation between the consumption of BPA-containing bottled drinking water and an increased risk of a history of allergy or hypersensitivity in adults. The finding is presented in a scientific article published in the 2025 edition of the journal AIMS Environmental Science.
“There is a statistically significant relationship between exposure to BPA through the consumption of bottled drinking water (AMDK) and immunosuppressive disorders,” the research team noted in the scientific article.
BPA is an industrial chemical commonly used in the manufacture of hard polycarbonate plastics, including refillable drinking water gallons. To date, public debate about the dangers of BPA has largely focused on the risk of cancer or reproductive disorders. However, the impact of this chemical on the immune system has often escaped attention.
“Over the past decade or so, a considerable number of experimental and epidemiological studies have reported that BPA exposure has the potential to affect the immune system,” said Dr. Sudarmaji, a lecturer in the Environmental Health Department at FKM Unair and a member of the research team.
According to him, the results of their research could serve as additional scientific evidence, particularly from Indonesia. “That BPA exposure through bottled drinking water deserves continued monitoring as an environmental health issue,” he said.
The study involved 96 adult respondents from Tambak Wedi subdistrict in Surabaya, with an average consumption of around two litres of water per day for approximately 31 years. Laboratory testing of 10 brands of gallon-sized bottled water on the market showed that all of them contained BPA, with the highest concentration reaching 0.099 µg/L.
The study recorded a positive correlation with immunosuppressive disorders in the form of a history of hypersensitivity. Sudarmaji explained that, biologically, BPA is suspected of increasing oxidative stress and triggering inflammatory processes. “As a result, in certain individuals, the immune response can become unbalanced, making hypersensitivity or allergic reactions more likely to appear,” he said.
Sudarmaji said the potential for such disorders needs to be viewed in the context of long-term exposure. “On average, respondents consumed around two litres of water per day over a period of about 31 years. Long-term cumulative exposure still needs to be a concern,” he said. Sudarmaji also warned that the groups most vulnerable to these immunotoxic effects are foetuses, infants, children, pregnant women, and individuals whose immune systems are not yet mature or are experiencing disruption.
“These findings are a scientific signal that BPA exposure still needs to be controlled, particularly through food packaging quality oversight, public education, and further research,” said Sudarmaji. (*)