BPA-free products still toxic

Posted on Wed, 1 Jun 16

Bisphenol A, a toxic chemical used in plastics and other products, is being increasingly restricted but the chemicals used to replace it may be just as bad.  

Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic and many other consumer products, and human exposure to BPA is now ubiquitous with BPA detected in the majority of individuals tested globally (1). BPA exposure has been linked to a number of serious health risks including obesity and related disorders (2). 

BPA is increasingly being replaced with alternative such as Bisphenol S (BPS) due to regulatory restrictions on its use, but “because of structural similarities with BPA, there is a risk that BPS may have similar negative effects on endocrine systems,” point out the others of a new study that suggests BPS may be just as toxic. 

They tested the effect of BPS on adipogenesis in primary human preadipocytes and were able to show that BPS induces lipid accumulation and increased adipocyte formation (3).  

“Increasing evidence suggests that BPS, the predominant replacement chemical for BPA, can now be detected in humans and may have unwanted health effects,” they point out. “Our data suggest that, similar to BPA, BPS increases adipogenesis in human preadipocytes and that further study is required to better understand potential hazards of widespread BPS exposure.”

While we wait for that research you can take action by avoiding plastic, especially food and drink containers and contact with thermal receipt paper, which are some of the major sources of BPS and BPA exposure (4).  

References: 

1. Rubin BS. Bisphenol A: an endocrine disruptor with widespread exposure and multiple effects. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2011 Oct;127(1-2):27-34.
2. Vom Saal FS, Nagel SC, Coe BL, Angle BM, Taylor JA. The estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and obesity. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012 May  6;354(1-2):74-84. 
3. Boucher JG, Ahmed S, Atlas E. Bisphenol S Induces Adipogenesis in Primary Human Preadipocytes From Female Donors. Endocrinology. 2016 Apr;157(4):1397-407. 
4. Rezg R, et al. Bisphenol A and human chronic diseases: current evidences, possible mechanisms, and future perspectives. Environ Int. 2014 Mar;64:83-90.