Bisphenol S and F: A Systematic Review and Comparison of the Hormonal Activity of Bisphenol A Substitutes.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Systematic review of bench in vitro and animal in vivo toxicological studies without human clinical trial data.
PubMed 25775505 · doi:10.1289/ehp.1408989
What was done
A systematic review conducted under the Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) protocol to evaluate the physiological effects, endocrine activities, and relative hormonal potencies of the bisphenol A (BPA) substitutes bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF) compared to BPA.
What was found
The review synthesized 32 studies (25 in vitro only, 7 in vivo). The abstract reports no exact numerical effect sizes or quantitative ranges, but states that the majority of studies found BPS and BPF to have hormonal potencies (estrogenic, antiestrogenic, androgenic, and antiandrogenic actions) in the same order of magnitude and mechanism of action as BPA. BPS demonstrated potency comparable to estradiol in membrane-mediated signaling pathways. Both chemicals also induced other biological effects in vitro and in vivo, including altered organ weights, reproductive endpoints, and altered enzyme expression.
Why it matters
Shows that common chemical replacements used in "BPA-free" products possess endocrine-disrupting activity comparable to BPA in preclinical models, indicating that substitution with BPS or BPF does not inherently eliminate endocrine risk.
Limits
The evidence base is strictly preclinical (in vitro cell assays and non-human in vivo models) with no human clinical or epidemiological data evaluated. The abstract provides only qualitative summary statements rather than specific effect sizes, dose thresholds, or pooled meta-analytic figures.
Cited by
- supports BPS is an endocrine disruptor that is very similar to or worse than BPA.