Exposure of the French population to bisphenols A, S, and F: National Biomonitoring Program, Esteban 2014–2016
Bisphenols (A, S, and F) are synthetic chemicals primarily used in the production of polycarbonates and epoxy resins. These compounds are found in the manufacture of electronic equipment, food packaging, thermal paper, paints, and varnishes. Bisphenols S and F have been used for several years as alternatives to bisphenol A (BPA), but their production remains limited. Bisphenol A is classified as an endocrine disruptor by the World Health Organization (WHO), "presumed to be toxic to reproduction," and classified as a "substance of very high concern" by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and is suspected of being linked to numerous health conditions (diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, respiratory, and kidney diseases, and cancers). Data on bisphenols S and F are still lacking; however, some studies show that they act as endocrine disruptors in a manner similar to BPA. As part of the national biomonitoring program, the Esteban cross-sectional study made it possible for the first time to measure exposure levels to bisphenols A, S, and F in the French mainland population and to investigate their determinants. Urinary bisphenol concentrations were measured in a subsample of 500 children and 900 adults, aged 6 to 74, included in the study between April 2014 and March 2016. Bisphenols A, S, and F were detected in nearly all samples; the geometric means for BPA were 2.25 and 2.69 µg/g of creatinine in children and adults, respectively; equal to 0.44 and 0.53 µg/g of creatinine for bisphenol S (BPS) and 0.26 and 0.31 µg/g of creatinine for bisphenol F (BPF). Bisphenol exposure was higher in children than in adults. The results obtained were similar to those observed in North American countries. The investigation of exposure determinants showed an increase in BPS and BPF concentrations in children associated with the purchase of pre-packaged fish and less frequent home ventilation. In adults, BPS exposure increased with the consumption of pre-packaged foods. The associations identified in the Esteban study should be interpreted with caution, as cross-sectional studies alone cannot establish causality between the potential exposure sources studied and the measured exposure levels, particularly for short-half-life exposure biomarkers such as bisphenols, which are measured from a single, one-time biological sample. Given recent regulations and restrictions on migration limits for BPA in food containers in particular, as well as the growing use of its substitutes, it will be important to monitor trends over time in the French population’s exposure levels to bisphenols A, S, and F.
Author(s): Balicco Alexis, Bidondo Marie-Laure, Fillol Clémence, Gane Jessica, Oleko Amivi, Saoudi Abdessattar, Zeghnoun Abdelkrim
Publishing year: 2019
Pages: 58 p.
Collection: Studies and Surveys
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