Washington, Nov 11 Increased exposure to chemical bisphenol-A at workplace can increase the risk of reduced sexual function in men, reveals a new study.

BPA is a chemical made in the production of polycarbonated plastics and epoxy resins found in baby bottles, plastic containers, the lining of cans used for food and beverages, and in dental sealants.

The study was conducted over 634 workers in factories in China. They were divided into two groups, one from BPA manufacturing facilities and other, a control group of workers in factories where no BPA was present.

The findings revealed that BPA-exposed workers had a nearly four-fold increased risk of reduced sexual desire and overall satisfaction with their sex life, greater than four-fold increased risk of erection difficulty, and more than seven-fold increased risk of ejaculation difficulty.

"Because the BPA levels in this study were very high, more research needs to be done to see how low a level of BPA exposure may have effects on our reproductive system," said the study's lead author Dr De-Kun Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland, Calif.

"This study raises the question: Is there a safe level for BPA exposure, and what is that level? More studies like this, which examine the effect of BPA on humans, are critically needed to help establish prevention strategies and regulatory policies," Li added.

The study appears in the journal Human Reproduction, published by Oxford Journals. (ANI)