Global occurrence of bisphenol compounds in breast milk and infant formula: A systematic review

Bisphenol compounds (BPs), particularly bisphenol A (BPA), are chemicals that are widely used in various industrial sections and come into contact with humans via different routes of exposure. Documented toxic effects of BPs include androgenicity, estrogenecity, cytotoxicity, neurotoxicity, etc. As a well-known member of bisphenols, BPA is an endocrine disruptor chemical (EDC) that has been the subject of safety regulations. Monitoring infants' exposure to BPs via consumption of breast milk and infant formula is essential as they are at critical stages of development and are potentially more vulnerable. Following a systematic search in databases PubMed and Scopus, out of 44 studies included in the present work, 27 and 13 analyzed breast milk and infant formula samples, respectively. In addition, 4 studies reported BPs levels in both matrices. BPA is the most frequently detected BP with concentrations in breast milk reaching up to 112.44 ng/g in samples from Taiwan and as high as 262 ng/g in formula samples from Canada. For breast milk and formula samples, Liquid Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) were the most frequently employed methods of detection, respectively. Our review indicates scarcity of data on BPA analogs such as bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF), highlighting the necessity for assessment of the occurrence of all BPA analogs in these matrices.