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There are several types of bisphenol present in everyday life. They can harm human health and the environment.

The various types of bisphenol, also called diphenols, are organic molecules made up of two phenols. Phenols, in turn, are formed by linking one or more hydroxyls directly to an aromatic ring. They are obtained by extracting oils from tar and coal.

Hard coal, which can also be called bituminous coal, is a highly viscous, flammable liquid that can be obtained in nature in the form of mineral coal and in the distillation of petroleum.

Tar, in turn, is a substance made from the distillation of coal, bones and wood. It is a viscous liquid made up of dozens of chemicals that are considered to be carcinogenic or toxic.

Thus, the basic ingredient in the composition of any type of bisphenol is phenol, which can be obtained from renewable and non-renewable sources.

Types of bisphenol

Bisphenol is mainly based on phenols, but it exists in several versions, there are bisphenol A, bisphenol B, bisphenol AF, bisphenol C, bisphenol E, bisphenol AP, bisphenol F and bisphenol S.

However, those that stand out are bisphenol A, bisphenol S and bisphenol F, also called BPA, BPS and BPF, respectively. These substances are used on a large scale by industry and are present in the most diverse materials and products sold.

Despite being different compounds, the types of bisphenol are similar in terms of chemical and physical properties. What differentiates these three types of bisphenol is that bisphenol A is prepared by the condensation of acetone, while bisphenol S is prepared by the reaction of phenol with sulfuric acid and bisphenol F by the reaction of phenol with formaldehyde.

Bisphenol A

Bisphenol A, one of the most produced chemicals on a global scale, is used in the manufacture of food packaging, water bottles, plastic containers, receipts, cans, water pipes, medical and dental devices, electronic products and is even in water stored in polycarbonate gallons, in addition to many other applications.

After studies proved its harm to human and environmental health, there were a series of restrictive regulations regarding its use.

In Brazil, Anvisa banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and restricted the migration of the substance from food packaging to 0.6 mg/kg. In Denmark and the United States, for example, bisphenol A was also banned in baby bottles, pacifiers and children's toys.

Read more about this type of bisphenol in the article: "What is BPA? Know Bisphenol A and be on the safe side".

Bisphenol S and Bisphenol F

After the restrictions on BPA, the market developed two main substitutes, BPF and BPS. The problem is that these substitutes, which are endocrine disruptors like BPA, are also harmful to human health and the environment.

The main difference is that while BPA is regulated, BPF and BPS are widely used without restriction. BPF and BPS are present in industrial cleaning products, solvents, paper receipts, epoxy coatings, plastics, water pipes, dental sealants, food packaging and the list goes on.

Read more about these two types of bisphenol in the articles: "BPF? Know the risks of bisphenol F" and "BPS: understand bisphenol S".

Endocrine Disruptors

Image: Aj Alao in Unsplash

As they are endocrine disruptors, BPA, BPS and BPF have the ability to interfere with the hormonal balance of organisms, whether animals or people. This type of interference brings significant harm.

In animals, endocrine disruptors can cause sterilization, behavioral problems, population decline, among others. In humans, endocrine disruptors are associated with diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome and others.

BPA, in particular, has been proven to cause abortion, reproductive tract abnormalities and tumors, breast and prostate cancer, attention deficit, visual and motor memory deficit, diabetes, decreased sperm quality and quantity in adults, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ectopic pregnancy (outside the uterine cavity), hyperactivity, infertility, changes in the development of internal sexual organs, obesity, sexual precocity, heart disease and polycystic ovary syndrome. A study published by FAPESP agency showed that bisphenol A can deregulate thyroid hormones even at low doses.

BPS has been shown to have cancer-causing potential, negative effects on the thyroid, mammalian testes, pituitary gland, uterus and testis size, and reproduction in female mammals and fish.

A compilation of studies has shown that BPF has estrogenic (stimulates ovulation) and androgenic effects, negative effects on the thyroid, negative physiological/biochemical effects, increases the size of the uterus and the weight of the testes and glands.

To learn more about these types of bisphenol, read the article: "BPS and BPF: know the dangers of alternatives to BPA".

Prevention

It is difficult to talk about prevention when we know that bisphenols are present in the most diverse items of everyday life. However, avoiding exposure and demanding stricter market rules are ways to mitigate the problem.

To avoid exposure to types of bisphenol in your daily life, avoid consuming industrialized products, as the bisphenol present in cans and plastic packaging ends up coming into contact with processed foods. If it is not possible to avoid industrialized products, give preference to glass packaging.

To store food at home it is the same rule, give preference to glass, ceramic and stainless steel pots. Try not to heat or cool plastic containers, and dispose of cracked or broken ones, as changes in the temperature and physical shape of the container can release bisphenol. Do not print receipts and paper receipts, prefer the scanned versions.

discard

Disposal of bisphenol-containing products is problematic. If disposed of incorrectly, in addition to causing visual pollution, these materials begin to release bisphenol into the environment, contaminating groundwater, soil and the atmosphere. In this way, they can end up in the soil that produces food, in water resources and harm people and animals in the most serious ways possible.

On the other hand, if the bisphenol-containing material is destined for recycling, depending on the type of material it turns into, it can have an even greater impact on human health. An example in this regard are recycled toilet papers from papers containing bisphenol. Recycled toilet paper containing bisphenol generates more serious exposure, as it comes into direct contact with more sensitive mucous membranes and ends up directly in the bloodstream.

Furthermore, encouraging the recycling of products containing bisphenol is encouraging the permanence of this type of substance in people's daily lives and in the environment. Therefore, the best option is the most radical possible reduction of this type of product and, when it is not possible to zero consumption, the best way to discard is as follows:

Join receipts and plastic (or other material) that contain some type of bisphenol, pack them securely in non-biodegradable plastic bags (so they don't leak) and dispose of them in safe landfills, as there they won't run the risk of leaking to groundwater or soils.

The problem is that there will be an extra volume in landfills. So, combined with this attitude, it is necessary to pressure regulatory bodies and companies to stop using substances as harmful as the various types of bisphenol and its substitutes, mainly, or at least, in food packaging and other containers that are sources of exposure more significant.