Bisphenol A alternatives in thermal paper from the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway. Screening and potential toxicity

Maria K Björnsdotter; Willem Jonker; Jessica Legradi; Jeroen Kool; Ana Ballesteros-Gómez

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.171

Bisphenol A alternatives in thermal paper from the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway. Screening and potential toxicity

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Dec 1:601-602:210-221. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.171. Epub 2017 May 25.

Authors

Maria K Björnsdotter¹, Willem Jonker², Jessica Legradi³, Jeroen Kool², Ana Ballesteros-Gómez⁴

Affiliations

¹ Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Environment and Health, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemistry and Nanochemistry, Marie Curie Building (Annex), Campus of Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
² Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
³ Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Environment and Health, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁴ Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Environment and Health, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemistry and Nanochemistry, Marie Curie Building (Annex), Campus of Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: a02bagoa@uco.es.

PMID: 28551540
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.171

Abstract

Thermal paper contains potentially toxic additives, such as bisphenol A (BPA), as a common color developer. Because of its known endocrine disrupting effects, structural analogues to BPA, such as bisphenol S (BPS), D-8 and Pergafast 201, have been used as alternatives, but little is known about the presence and toxicological effects of alternatives other than BPS. In this study, thermal paper is screened by direct probe ambient mass spectrometry (rapid pre-screening method not requiring sample preparation) and by liquid chromatography (LC) with high resolution time-of flight (TOF-MS) mass spectrometry. Cash receipts and other thermal paper products (cinema tickets, boarding passes and luggage tags) were analyzed. Besides BPA and BPS, other developers only recently reported (Pergafast 201, D-8) or to the best of our knowledge not reported before (D-90, TGSA, BPS-MAE) were frequently found as well as some related unreported impurities (2,4-BPS that is a BPS related impurity and a TGSA related impurity). To gain some insight into the potential estrogenicity of the detected developers, a selection of extracts was further analyzed using a LC-nanofractionation platform in combination with cell-based bioassay testing. These preliminary results seems to indicate very low or absence of estrogenic activity for Pergafast 201, D-8, D-90, TGSA and BPS-MAE in comparison to BPA and BPS, although further dose-response tests with authentic standards are required to confirm these results. Compounds for which standards were available were also tested for developmental toxicity and neurotoxicity using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. TGSA and D-8 induced similar teratogenic effects as BPA in zebrafish embryos. BPS and 2,4-BPS did not induce any developmental effects but 2,4-BPS did alter the locomotor activity at the tested concentration. Our findings suggest that the alternatives used as alternatives to BPA (except BPS) might not be estrogenic. However, TGSA and D-8 showed abnormal developmental effects similar to BPA.

Keywords: Bisphenol A; Bisphenol S; D-8; Endocrine activity; Pergafast 201; Thermal paper.

MeSH terms

Animals
Benzhydryl Compounds / analysis*
Cell Line, Tumor
Humans
Netherlands
Norway
Paper*
Phenols / analysis*
Spain
Sweden
Toxicity Tests*
Zebrafish

Substances

Benzhydryl Compounds
Phenols
bisphenol A