Numerous studies have investigated the environmental occurrence, human exposure, and toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA). Following stringent regulations on the production and usage of BPA, several bisphenol analogues have been produced as a replacement for BPA in various applications. The present review outlines the current state of knowledge on the occurrence of bisphenol analogues (other than BPA) in the environment, consumer products and foodstuffs, human exposure and biomonitoring, and toxicity. Whereas BPA was still the major bisphenol analogue found in most environmental monitoring studies, BPF and BPS were also frequently detected. Elevated concentrations of BPAF, BPF, and BPS (i.e., similar to or greater than that of BPA) have been reported in the abiotic environment and human urine from some regions. Many analogues exhibit endocrine disrupting effects, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, dioxin-like effects, and neurotoxicity in laboratory studies. BPAF, BPB, BPF, and BPS have been shown to exhibit estrogenic and/or antiandrogenic activities similar to or even greater than that of BPA. Knowledge gaps and research needs have been identified, which include the elucidation of environmental occurrences, persistence, and fate of bisphenol analogues (other than BPA), sources and pathways for human exposure, effects on reproductive systems and the mammary gland, mechanisms of toxicity from coexposure to multiple analogues, metabolic pathways and products, and the impact of metabolic modification on toxicity.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a highly persistent and potentially toxic class of chemicals, are added to cosmetics to increase their durability and water resistance. To assess this potential health and environmental risk, 231 cosmetic products purchased in the U.S. and Canada were screened for total fluorine using particle-induced gamma-ray emission spectroscopy. Of the eight categories tested, foundations, mascaras, and lip products had the highest proportion of products with high total fluorine ≥0.384 μg F/cm2. Twenty-nine products including 20 with high total fluorine concentrations were analyzed using targeted LC-MS/MS and GC-MS. PFAS concentrations ranged from 22–10,500 ng/g product weight, with an average and a median of 264 and 1050 ng/g product weights, respectively. Here, 6:2 and 8:2 fluorotelomer compounds, including alcohols, methacrylates, and phosphate esters, were most commonly detected. These compounds are precursors to PFCAs that are known to be harmful. The ingredient lists of most products tested did not disclose the presence of fluorinated compounds exposing a gap in U.S. and Canadian labeling laws. The manufacture, use, and disposal of cosmetics containing PFAS are all potential opportunities for health and ecosystem harm. Given their direct exposure routes into people, better regulation is needed to limit the widespread use of PFAS in cosmetics.

The present study provides a comprehensive investigation of three suites of commonly used synthetic additives: phenolic and amino antioxidants and ultraviolet filters. The concentrations of 47 such compounds and their transformation products were measured in 20 atmospheric particle samples collected in Chicago, in 21 Canadian e-waste dust samples, in 32 Canadian and United States’ residential dust samples, and in 10 sediment samples collected from the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Despite their large production volumes in the United States, environmental data on antioxidants and UV filters in North America is limited. These compounds were detected in all the samples, indicating their ubiquitous distribution in the North American environment. The most prevalent compounds were 2,6-di-t-butyl-p-benzoquinone, diphenylamine, 4,4′-di-t-octyl diphenylamine, 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone. The e-waste dust contained significantly greater total concentrations of these compounds than the Canadian residential dust, while intermediate levels were detected in the United States residential dust. The sediment samples showed relatively high levels of N,N′-diphenylbenzidine, the source of which is unclear, and some benzotriazole UV filters. Daily intake rates by dust ingestion for these compounds ranged from 1–10 ng/(kg·day) for adults to 10–100 ng/(kg·day) for toddlers. Due to the wide distribution of these compounds in both the ambient and built environments, future research on their potential toxic effects on people and ecosystems is important.

The present study investigated the occurrence of 20 organophosphate esters (OPEs) in house dust from 51 South China homes and the risks of human exposure to OPEs via two pathways: dust ingestion and hand-to-mouth contact. In addition to several traditional OPEs, five out of six novel OPEs, including bisphenol A bis(deiphenyl phosphate) (BPA-BDPP), t-butylphenyl diphenyl phosphate (BPDPP), cresyl diphenyl phosphate (CDP), isodecyl diphenyl phosphate (IDDPP), and resorcinol-bis(diphenyl)phosphate (RDP), were frequently detected in house dust (median concentration: 59.7-531 ng/g). Eight of the 20 target OPEs were frequently detected in hand wipes collected from adults and children ( n = 51 and 31, respectively), which in combination (referred to as ΣOPEs) had a median mass of 76.9 and 58.9 ng, respectively. Increasing dust concentrations of ΣOPEs or three individual substances among these eight OPEs, including tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), were strongly associated with their levels in children's hand wipes ( p < 0.05 in all cases). By contrast, in adults' hand wipes only TPHP exhibited a marginally significant association with dust concentrations ( p = 0.04). Levels of ΣOPEs in hand wipes from children, but not adults, were inversely influenced by hand washing frequency ( p = 0.002), while indoor temperature was inversely associated with hand wipe levels of ΣOPEs from both children and adults ( p = 0.01 and 0.002, respectively). Exposure estimation suggests that hand-to-mouth contact represents another important pathway in addition to dust ingestion and that children are subjected to higher OPE exposure than adults.

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Hindered phenolic antioxidants are common industrial chemicals that are added to polymers of all sorts and even to food. For example, on the order of 107 kg of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (also known as BHT) is used in the United States every year. Despite their widespread use, the environmental fates of most of these compounds have not been well-investigated. The first step in such an investigation is the identification of those antioxidants that are present in environmental sources. This paper reports on the identification of two previously unsuspected antioxidants, Irganox 1076 and Irganox 1135. The latter is particularly abundant in a set of children’s car seats we have previously investigated for flame retardants. We also demonstrate that both of these compounds degrade to 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-benzoquinone and that this compound is very abundant in atmospheric particles collected in Chicago. We suggest that this benzoquinone is likely to be environmentally significant and deserves further attention.

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