Can BPA and other bisphenols in plastics cause infertility or hormone-related cancers?

What's actually in it

Bisphenols are a family of chemicals used to make hard, clear plastics and line the inside of metal cans. BPA is the most well-known, but products labeled "BPA-free" often contain cousins like BPS, BPF, and BPE. You'll find them in water bottles, food containers, canned foods, and thermal receipt paper.

All bisphenols mimic estrogen, the primary female sex hormone. They bind to estrogen receptors and send false signals to cells throughout the reproductive system.

What the research says

A 2026 review in Endocrine mapped out how bisphenols damage female fertility and feed hormone-related cancers. The two problems are closely connected, because both rely on estrogen signaling gone wrong.

For fertility, bisphenols disrupt ovarian follicle development, the process that matures eggs for release each month. They also interfere with uterine lining growth, making it harder for a fertilized egg to implant. Women with higher bisphenol blood levels had lower rates of successful pregnancy in IVF studies.

For cancer, the estrogen-mimicking effect is the main driver. Bisphenols stimulate the growth of estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer cells and endometrial cancer cells. They also suppress the body's natural tumor-fighting pathways, giving cancer cells more room to grow.

The review noted that newer BPA substitutes were just as active, sometimes more so, than BPA itself. Switching to glass or stainless steel food storage and avoiding canned foods are the most effective ways to lower your daily bisphenol dose.