Meeting Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a xenoestrogen found in the environment in various concentrations, originating from wastes like cleaning and beauty products, pharmaceuticals, and plastics. We have used high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection to quantify the amount of BPA absorbed by planarian, a model organism, as BPA absorbs light in the ultraviolet range and fluoresces upon UV excitation. We have extracted on the order of picograms of BPA from planaria that live for a period of several days in media containing micromolar concentrations of the substance. During their time spent in this media, the planaria behavior changes dramatically. Movements become slower and their reactions to stimuli are delayed. Experiments were conducted to test the planarian’s ability to regenerate during their exposure to BPA. The regeneration process involved cell proliferation for blastema formation and morphallaxis for symmetry and proportion. This allows the planaria to regenerate a tail from a head and a head from a tail. However, this regenerative ability is significantly impaired when BPA is present in the planaria’s medium.
