BPA Alternative Claimed to Disrupt Hormones

A recent study has reportedly claimed that low exposures of a bisphenol A (BPA) alternative known as bisphenol S (BPS) also disrupt estrogen, raising questions about the chemical’s impact on human health. Rene Vinas and Cheryl Watson, “Bisphenol S Disrupts Estradiol Induced Nongenomic Signaling in Rat Pituitary Cell Line: Effects on Cell Functions,” Environmental Health Perspectives, January 2013. University of Texas researchers apparently sought to “characterize the non-genomic activities of BPS” at low doses by examining how it mimics “the effects of physiologic estrogens via membrane-bound estrogen receptors” in rat pituitary cells, “alone and together with the physiologic estrogen estradiol (E2).”

The results evidently showed that, like BPA, BPS “disrupts membrane-initiated
E2-induced cell signaling, leading to altered cell proliferation, cell death, and
PRL [prolactin] release.” According to the study’s authors, BPS has replaced
BPA in some thermal papers and plastics because it is “less likely to leach
from plastic containers with heat and sunlight,” although the substance “still
escapes the polymers in small quantities under normal use.”

“People automatically think low doses do less than high doses. But both
natural hormones and unnatural ones like [BPS] can have effects at surprisingly
low doses,” said Cheryl Watson, ultimately recommending that further
research focus on building a profile of the risks associated with the entire
class of chemicals. “I think we should all stop and be very cautious about just
accepting this as a substitute for BPA. And not just BPS. We should question
the whole process about how we introduce chemicals into the marketplace
without properly testing them first.” See Environmental Health News, January
17, 2013.