Occurrence of Chlorinated Derivatives of Bisphenol S in Paper Products and Their Potential Health Risks through Dermal Exposure

Abstract

The occurrence of chlorinated derivatives of bisphenol S (Cl x -BPS) and BPS was investigated in nine types of paper products ( n = 125), including thermal paper, corrugated boxes, mail envelopes, newspapers, flyers, magazines, food contact paper, household paper, and business cards. BPS was found in all paper product samples, while Cl x -BPS were mainly found in thermal paper (from below the limit of detection (<LOD) to 3.76 μg g –1 ), corrugated box (<LOD to 30.2 ng g –1 ), mailing envelope (<LOD to 31.0 ng g –1 ), and newspaper (<LOD to 98.5 ng g –1 ) samples. All samples with detectable Cl x -BPS concentrations contained a high concentration of BPS. Cl 1 -BPS was the most frequently detected analyte, followed by Cl 2 -BPS-2 (2-chloro-4-(3-chloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfonylphenol), Cl 2 -BPS-1 (2,6-dichloro-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfonylphenol), Cl 3 -BPS, and Cl 4 -BPS. The estimated daily intake of Cl x -BPS via dermal transfer upon handling of paper products was 0.546 and 16.4 ng per day for generally and occupationally exposed individuals, at the maximum concentration of 3.76 μg g –1 . Additionally, the potential toxicity of Cl x -BPS was predicted using an in silico tool, showing toxicity gradually increased with an increasing degree of chlorination of BPS. Thus, human exposure to Cl x -BPS through paper products should be given due attention as a health risk.