Sources of Synthetic Estrogen

Varsha Sridhar

One of the best presents I have ever received was a book entitled Girls Think of Everything on the day of my fifth grade graduation. Girls Think of Everything chronicles various women who have made world changing scientific discoveries. This book inspired my clueless, ten year old self to one day have such an impact on the world. Thus my passion for research began and has continued to influence my high school and college interests. During high school, I worked on two main research projects. I began the first project as a freshman in high school and studied the effects of synthetic estrogens on human health as well as the environment. The second research project used a theoretical chemistry approach to investigate the Marcus Model and in vivo electron transfer … During a shopping trip, I was tasked with buying baby bottles for my pregnant cousin. While looking at the different options, I noticed that some bottles were labelled BPA Free and some were not. I was not sure what BPA meant, but after a quick internet search I learned that it is an acronym for bisphenol A, an endocrine disrupting compound that has been linked to cancer, developmental issues, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. I was surprised to discover that BPA is not only present in baby bottles but is a common ingredient in many consumer goods including polycarbonate plastic (e.g. reusable water bottles), epoxy resins, receipt paper, eyeglasses, and compact discs. The compound’s ubiquity has also led to environmental contamination, especially in bodies of water …