Supposedly “safer” substitutes for BPA continue to drive metabolic disease globally

A recent analysis published by Science of The Total Environment found that exposure to bisphenol chemicals - including BPA and its replacements BPS and BPF - were responsible for over 127 million cases of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome globally in 2024.

In short:

• While regulations restricting BPA use in Europe cut public exposure to BPA by 33%, the use of chemical substitutes has risen sharply, with BPS exposure increasing by 47% and BPF increasing by 22%.
• As a result, BPS and BPF accounted for over 76% of bisphenol-related disease worldwide in 2024.
• Analysis suggests that cutting global bisphenol exposure by just 50% could save $420 billion annually and prevent 49 million cases of metabolic disease.

Key quote:

“Results underscore that regulatory action targeting BPA alone may be insufficient and, in some cases, counterproductive — creating a false sense of safety while the toxicological threat persists.”

Why this matters:

Exposure to bisphenol chemicals has been increasing internationally despite established health effects. While most regulations have focused exclusively on BPA, replacements like BPS and BPF have been found to carry a comparable risk for metabolic disease, including obesity and insulin resistance in both children and adults. The authors of this analysis emphasize that limiting a single bisphenol while continuing to use others undermines the effectiveness of regulations. By assessing chemicals as a class rather than on an individual basis, regulators can make informed decisions about similar chemicals and avoid the assumption that a substitute is safe just because it hasn’t been studied.

Related EHN coverage:

• How BPA and its evil cousins dodge meaningful regulation
• Regulating chemicals by class: A task of surgical precision

More resources:

• American Diabetes Association (ADA): Study reveals decrease in bisphenol A exposure can impact type 2 diabetes care
• The Diabetes and the Environment webpage on BPA summarizes the hundreds of peer-reviewed, published studies on various bisphenols, diabetes, and obesity.