The bisphenols (/ˈbɪsfɪnɒl/) are a group of industrial chemical compounds related to diphenylmethane; commonly used in the creation of plastics and epoxy resins.
[1][2][3] Most are based on two hydroxyphenyl functional groups linked by a methylene bridge.
Bisphenol A is the most popular representative of the group, with millions of metric tons produced globally in the past decade, often simply called "bisphenol".
[3][4][5] Bisphenols A (BPA), F (BPF) and S (BPS) have been shown to be endocrine disruptors, potentially relating to adverse health effects.
[3][6] Due to its high production volumes, BPA has been characterised as a "pseudo-persistent" chemical,[7] leading to its spreading and potential accumulation in a variety of environmental matrices, even though it has a fairly short half-life.