Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model to Assess the Potential Risk to Human Health Associated with the Use of Bisphenol A and Its Substitutes

Abstract

Given its simplicity, Caenorhabditis elegans appears to be a promising model for future research on endocrine disruptors, including bisphenol A and its supposedly safer alternatives. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of embryonic exposure of C. elegans to different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 5 µM) of bisphenol A and its analogs (bisphenol S, bisphenol F, and bisphenol AF) on selected biological characteristics of the nematode C. elegans and to compare them with an unexposed control group. Embryonal exposure of C. elegans to bisphenol A, as well as bisphenol S, F, and AF at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 5 µM resulted in a significant influence on the percentage of hatched eggs and habituation to anterior stimuli (with significant results ranging from p ≤ 0.05 to p ≤ 0.001). The growth of C. elegans was also significantly impaired by bisphenol A, S, and AF in some concentrations (with p-values ranging from p ≤ 0.05 to p ≤ 0.001). Our findings confirm prior research that bisphenol A and its supposedly safer analogs exert a detrimental effect on diverse biological processes. Therefore, bisphenol A analogs should be employed with caution, particularly until a comprehensive risk assessment has been conducted.