Head of the aquatic ecotoxicology department at Goethe University, Frankfurt. Oehlmann conducted studies on chemicals in plastic bottles and their effect on the biological make-up of freshwater snails. Groups of freshwater snails were cultured in glass bottles and plastic bottles made from PET polyethylene terephthalate. PET leaches the chemicals bisphenol A (BPA) and octylphenol (OP), which comprise a substantial quantity of estrogen-mimicking pollution. The female snails after a 5 month exposure to the chemicals in their lowest concentrations, underwent a series of complicated biological alterations. Such changes induced by bisphenol and octylphenol included:
From Oehlmann's conclusion of his study:
“We must have identified just the tip of the iceberg in that plastic packaging may be a major source of xenohormone contamination of many other edibles. Our findings provide an insight into the potential exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals due to unexpected sources of contamination.”