Exposure to Bisphenol A, Bisphenol F, and Bisphenol S in U.S. Adults and Children: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2014

Abstract

Bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS) are replacing bisphenol A (BPA) in the manufacturing of products containing polycarbonates and epoxy resins. Data on current human exposure levels of these substitutes are needed to aid in the assessment of their human health risks. This study analyzed urinary bisphenol levels in adults ( N = 1808) and children ( N = 868) participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2014 and investigated demographic and lifestyle factors associated with urinary levels of bisphenols. BPA, BPS, and BPF were detected in 95.7, 89.4, and 66.5% of randomly selected urine samples analyzed as part of NHANES 2013–2014, respectively. Median levels of BPA in U.S. adult were higher (1.24 μg/L) than BPF and BPS levels (0.35 and 0.37 μg/L, respectively). For children, median BPA levels were also higher (1.25 μg/L) than BPF and BPS levels (0.32 and 0.29 μg/L, respectively). The limits of detection for BPA, BPF, and BPS were 0.2, 0.2, and 0.1 μg/L, respectively. Urinary levels showed associations with gender, race/ethnicity, family income, physical activity, smoking, and/or alcohol intake that depended on the specific bisphenol. The results of this study indicate that exposure of the general U.S. population to BPA substitutes is almost ubiquitous. Because exposures differ across the U.S. population, further studies of environmental, consumer, and lifestyle factors affecting BPF and BPS exposures are warranted.