Food & Drink / Compounds / Bisphenol Z (BPZ)

Bisphenol Z (BPZ) in food: ingestion safety

Low risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Bisphenol Z (BPZ; CAS 843-55-0) presents a low risk to human adults at current ambient exposure levels. BPZ's estrogenic activity is confirmed in ERα binding assays and zebrafish models, but its relative potency is generally below BPA — which itself was reassessed at a 20,000-fold lower TDI by EFSA in 2023 (0.2 ng/kg bw/day). Human exposure from food contact materials, indoor dust, and environmental sources is not yet well characterized but expected to be low relative to historical BPA exposures. No reproductive toxicology studies of sufficient scope for BPZ individual risk characterization have been published in the peer-reviewed literature. Risk at current exposure levels is considered low but warrants monitoring as industrial use of BPZ may increase with BPA phase-out.

What is bisphenol z (bpz)?

The IUPAC name is 4-[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexyl]phenol.

Also known as: 4-[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexyl]phenol, 1,1-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane, Bisphenol Z, 4,4'-Cyclohexylidenebisphenol.

IUPAC name
4-[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexyl]phenol
CAS number
843-55-0
Molecular formula
C18H20O2
Molecular weight
268.3 g/mol
SMILES
C1CCC(CC1)(C2=CC=C(C=C2)O)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O
PubChem CID
232446

Risk for people

Low risk

Bisphenol Z (BPZ; CAS 843-55-0) presents a low risk to human adults at current ambient exposure levels. BPZ's estrogenic activity is confirmed in ERα binding assays and zebrafish models, but its relative potency is generally below BPA — which itself was reassessed at a 20,000-fold lower TDI by EFSA in 2023 (0.2 ng/kg bw/day). Human exposure from food contact materials, indoor dust, and environmental sources is not yet well characterized but expected to be low relative to historical BPA exposures. No reproductive toxicology studies of sufficient scope for BPZ individual risk characterization have been published in the peer-reviewed literature. Risk at current exposure levels is considered low but warrants monitoring as industrial use of BPZ may increase with BPA phase-out.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Bisphenol Z (BPZ).

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
ECHA / EFSA (Bisphenol Z — 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane — not individually classified for carcinogenicity; cyclohexane-bridged bisphenol analog; estrogenic activity documented in ERα competitive binding assays and in vivo zebrafish models; detected in WWTPs, surface waters, and human urine biomonitoring samples; no carcinogenicity classification by IARC, EFSA, NTP, or US EPA; considered BPA structural alternative in some polycarbonate and epoxy formulations)2022no carcinogenicity classification; bisphenol cyclohexane analog with documented estrogenic activity in vitro and in vivo (zebrafish); detected in environmental and human biomonitoring matrices; not classified by IARC, EFSA, NTP, or US EPA for carcinogenicity

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter bisphenol z (bpz)

  • Consumer Products — Plastic bottles and containers, Food packaging, Plastic toys and household items
  • Drinking Water — Leaching from plastic pipes, Migration from bottled water containers
  • Indoor Environments — Off-gassing from plastic furniture, Degradation of plastic products

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Bisphenol Z (BPZ):

  • NSF-certified activated carbon filtration
    Trade-offs: Does not remove all contaminants. Requires filter replacement.
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

What products contain bisphenol z (bpz)?

Bisphenol Z (BPZ) appears in: Plastic bottles and containers (Consumer products); Food packaging (Consumer products); Leaching from plastic pipes (Drinking water); Migration from bottled water containers (Drinking water); Off-gassing from plastic furniture (Indoor environments).

See Bisphenol Z (BPZ) in the food app

Look up products containing bisphenol z (bpz), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. ECHA EFSA Bisphenol Z CAS 843-55-0 Cyclohexane-Bridged Analog; Zebrafish In Vivo Estrogenic Activity; WWTP Surface Water Detection ng/L; Human Urine Biomonitoring; BPA Alternative Polycarbonate; No IARC EFSA NTP EPA Carcinogenicity Classification (2022) — regulatory

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →