Toxicity and bioconcentration of bisphenol A alternatives in the freshwater pulmonate snail Planorbella pilsbryi

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical identified as a vertebrate endocrine disruptor. Numerous alternatives have been developed, for which toxicity data are lacking. The present study assessed the toxicity of BPA and its replacement products bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol S (BPS), and bisphenol AF (BPAF) in freshwater snail (Planorbella pilsbryi) embryos and adults. The chronic toxicity of BPA and BPAF was further characterized in 28-day tests with adult snails, followed by 21-day assessments of hatching and survival of embryos produced at the end of the test (F1 generation). In acute tests, BPAF was the most toxic of the substances tested (maximum acceptable toxicant concentration [MATC], 136 µg/L), followed by BPA (MATC, 1404 µg/L), BPF (MATC, 1525 µg/L), and BPS (MATC > 8590 µg/L). In the chronic test with BPA, although we observed no significant effects on adult snails up to 479 µg/L, the hatching and survival of juveniles from the F1 generation decreased (MATC, 13 µg/L), and was delayed by 7.5 days, on average. In contrast, we did not observe any decrease in hatching or survival of juveniles from the F1 generation during exposure to BPAF. Effects were observed at concentrations above most reported environmental exposure concentrations, although there was an overlap between exposure and effect concentrations. Given that concentrations of alternative substances are expected to increase, and in the absence of data on potential effects of mixtures, further research is needed.