A research made by Swedish Chemical Agency (Kemi) found that 37 bisphenols could have endocrine disrupting properties. Only recently European Commission considered bispehnol A (BPA) as a substance of very high concern because of its toxic reproductive properties. Kemi's founding sheds new light on the whole group of bisphenols. However, a lot of additional work has to be done before any conclusions or restrictions could be carried out.
Using a new method, Kemi was able to identify more than 200 substances that have similar chemical structure as BPA. According to analysis, 37 of these substances could interfere endocrine system. Although, only six of investigated substances, BPA among them, have properties and uses which could pose a risk from a consumer point of view. These substances are:
- bisphenol A;
- bisphenol F;
- bisphenol M;
- bisphenol S;
- 2,2-bis(4´-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methylpentane; and
- benzophenone-2.
These six substances and their impacts to human health and environment will be further reviewed by European Chemicals Agency. Which means that the use of the substances might be regulated at the EU level in the future. Only at the end of last year restrictions on bisphenol A in thermal paper were adopted - no more than 0.02 % (by weight) of BPA can be present in thermal paper after 2 January 2020.
Source: Kemi's press release
Photo: Lauri Rotko (Copyright European Chemicals Agency)