In a report published in January 2020, the German Environment Agency (UBA) published the results of a study investigating the suitability of potential substitutes for the chemical bisphenol A (BPA; CAS 80-05-7). The study completed a literature search to identify environmentally relevant candidates and tested them for interaction with a set of nuclear receptors thought to potentially be responsible for BPA’s endocrine disrupting effects. Biochemical and cell-based screening assays were further used to investigate the substance’s influence on estrogen and androgen receptors. Regulatory news provider Chemical Watch informed that the study identified 93 BPA alternatives, of which 44 were found to be environmentally relevant. Of these, 26 were identified as being commercially available and were therefore subjected to testing. Most of the tested substances were found to positively bind to estrogen and/or androgen receptors, which indicated likely endocrine disruption. This included the substances bisphenol Z (BPZ; CAS 843-55-0), bisphenol C (BPC; CAS 14868-03-2), and bisphenol S (BPS; CAS 80-09-1). The only substance the report identified as having sufficient safety data and not showing endocrine activity was Pergafast 201 (CAS 232938-43-1), a chemical used as a color developer for thermal papers.
Read More
Chemical Watch (February 13, 2020). “‘Almost all’ alternatives to BPA show endocrine disrupting effects, UBA finds.”
Reference
Eilebrecht E. et. al. (January 2020) “Bewertung des endokrinen Potenzials von Bisphenol Alternativstoffen in umweltrelevanten Verwendungen.” Umwelt Bundesamt. (pdf) (in German)
