Bisphenol A is extensively used in the manufacturing of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics, whereas several brominated and chlorinated analogues are used as flame retardants and intermediates in the plastic industry. Due to the structural relationship between these chemicals and the high production volumes, we wanted to characterize and compare their potential oestrogen-like potency using several end-points in MCF-7 cells: induction of pS2 protein and progesterone receptor, reduction of oestrogen receptor level, and stimulation of cell growth. Bisphenol A, tetrachloro- and tetrabromo-bisphenol A, 4-hydroxybiphenyl and 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl all showed oestrogen-like properties in MCF-7 cells. The chemicals tested had affinity to the oestrogen receptor isolated from MCF-7 cells, although their EC50s were 1,000 to 80,000 times higher than the EC50 of 17beta-oestradiol. Bisphenol A and 4-hydroxybiphenyl induced cell growth in MCF-7 cells, and the highest test concentrations induced responses, apparently exceeding the cell growth induced by 17beta-oestradiol. The other chemicals tested induced less than 50% of the maximum 17beta-oestradiol-stimulated cell growth. Bisphenol A, 4-hydroxybiphenyl, tetrabromobisphenol A and tetrachlorobisphenol A all increased the level of the oestrogen-regulated proteins, progesterone receptor and pS2, whereas 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl showed no such effect. Bisphenol A was the only chemical tested that clearly mimicked 17beta-oestradiol in its ability to reduce the level of cytosolic oestrogen receptors in MCF-7 cells. By measuring several oestrogen-dependent endpoints it seems that some xeno-oestrogens cause an imbalanced oestrogen-response. Their ability and potency in mimicking 17beta-oestrogen in one parameter is not necessarily accompanied by a similar effect in another oestrogen-linked parameter.