Erika Z. Pet Care Provider in Waterford, WI 53185

Bisphenol A or BPA is an industrial chemical used in the making of plastics. The chemical compounds make it very sturdy and strong, with these qualities it is commonly used in construction sites as well as farm fields. In previous studies, it has been determined that BPA that reaches the soil compartment from plastic resins or even sewage water is not expected to be stable, mobile or bioavailable (Gunnar, 2003). Currently, most humans are exposed to BPA with unconjugated concentrations found in human blood, breast milk, amniotic fluid and placental tissue (Vandenberg, 2007). BPA is also found being used to store food and water, electronics, industrial and auto and even resins of baby bottles(Facts About BPA 1998-2016; Rubin, 2011). BPA has been determined to be safe by the FDA at low doses. However, BPA has been shown to impact the endocrine chemical pathways in animal cells and reduce the efficiency of chemical signaling in nitrogen-fixing bacteria in vitro(Fox et al., 2001; 2007). It is not known which or how many of the substances leaching from these new generation polycarbonates are responsible for the declining global crop yield nor if non-BPA polycarbonate residues interfere with Medicago sativa (alfalfa). BPA is very good at storing liquids and fertilizers for a decent amount of time, but within the atmosphere, everything begins to breakdown. In minor concentrations, BPA has a low potential for bioaccumulation and the concentrations found within freshwater communities are currently lower than chronic aquatic toxicity levels (Staples, 1998). The containers that contain the BPA will break down in the plastics and leak into the soil that food is grown in along with contaminating the water supply.The water is then used to water plants and the water we drink. This could alter how the plants develop and how they reproduce. In this experiment, we intend on answering the question of if Bisphenol A does affect nodular growth and overall alfalfa growth in general. This in turn answers the secondary question that BPA, at high concentrations, may disrupt the ch