Bisphenol S (BPS,dioxydiphenylsulfone) is anorganic compound with theformula(HOC6H4)2SO2. It has twophenolfunctional groups on either side of asulfonyl group. It is commonly used in curing fast-dryingepoxy resin adhesives. It is classified as abisphenol, and a closemolecular analog ofbisphenol A (BPA). BPS differs from BPA in possessing asulfone group(SO2) as the central linker in the molecule instead of the dimethylmethylene group(C(CH3)2) of bisphenol A.
German chemist Ludwig Glutz (1844–1873) first prepared the compound fromphenol and hotsulfuric acid in 1867,[3] designating itoxysulphobenzide.[4] It was used starting in 1869 as a dye.[5]
BPS received the modern name in the late 1950s.[6]
BPS is used to a variety of common consumer products.[7][8][9] In some cases, BPS is used as a replacement for BPA.[10] BPS also has the advantage of being more stable to heat and light than BPA.[11][12] BPS has also been reported to occur in canned foodstuffs, such astin cans.[13]
Another study done on thermal receipt paper shows that 88% of human exposure to BPS from handling papers is through receipts.[14]
The recycling ofthermal paper can introduce BPS into the cycle of paper production and cause BPS contamination of other types of paper products.[15]
In a 2015 study analyzing BPS in a variety of paper products worldwide, BPS was found in 100% of tickets, mailing envelopes, airplane boarding passes, and airplane luggage tags. In this study, very high concentrations of BPS were detected in thermal receipt samples collected from cities in the United States, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The BPS concentrations were large but varied greatly, from a few tens of nanograms per gram to several milligrams per gram. BPS is present in more than 70% of the household waste paper samples, potentially indicating spreading of BPS contamination through paper recycling.[16]Nevertheless, concentrations of BPS used in thermal paper are usually lower compared to those of BPA.[16] Finally, BPS can get into the human body through dermal absorption from handlingbanknotes.[7]
A relationship to higher BPS concentrations is linked to individuals within certain socio-economic classes hence placing those individuals at greater risk of possible deleterious effects. Individuals with an annual income of less than $20,000 were found to have the highest concentrations of bisphenol and individuals with an annual income of $75,000 or more to have the lowest concentrations, suggesting a linear relationship between bodily concentrations of BPS and income.[17] Black women had the highest concentrations of BPS with levels 93% higher than those of white women.[18]
In the United States, it can be difficult for consumers to determine if a product contains bisphenol S due to limited labeling regulations.[20] As of December 2023, bisphenol S is recognized by the State of California as a reproductive toxicant.[21]
^abLiao C, Liu F, Kannan K (June 2012). "Bisphenol s, a new bisphenol analogue, in paper products and currency bills and its association with bisphenol a residues".Environmental Science & Technology.46 (12):6515–22.Bibcode:2012EnST...46.6515L.doi:10.1021/es300876n.PMID22591511.
^Liao C, Liu F, Guo Y, Moon HB, Nakata H, Wu Q, Kannan K (August 2012). "Occurrence of eight bisphenol analogues in indoor dust from the United States and several Asian countries: implications for human exposure".Environmental Science & Technology.46 (16):9138–45.Bibcode:2012EnST...46.9138L.doi:10.1021/es302004w.PMID22784190.
^Liao C, Liu F, Alomirah H, Loi VD, Mohd MA, Moon HB, et al. (June 2012). "Bisphenol S in urine from the United States and seven Asian countries: occurrence and human exposures".Environmental Science & Technology.46 (12):6860–6.Bibcode:2012EnST...46.6860L.doi:10.1021/es301334j.PMID22620267.
^Kuruto-Niwa R, Nozawa R, Miyakoshi T, Shiozawa T, Terao Y (January 2005). "Estrogenic activity of alkylphenols, bisphenol S, and their chlorinated derivatives using a GFP expression system".Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology.19 (1):121–30.Bibcode:2005EnvTP..19..121K.doi:10.1016/j.etap.2004.05.009.PMID21783468.
^Viñas P, Campillo N, Martínez-Castillo N, Hernández-Córdoba M (May 2010). "Comparison of two derivatization-based methods for solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometric determination of bisphenol A, bisphenol S and biphenol migrated from food cans".Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.397 (1):115–125.doi:10.1007/s00216-010-3464-7.PMID20127078.S2CID11696149.
