Occurrence and distribution of bisphenol compounds in different categories of animal feeds used in China

Bisphenol compounds (BPs) are of concern worldwide as potential environmental contaminants, and these chemicals may migrate into animal-derived foodstuffs from animal feeds. In this study, 12 BPs were analyzed in 7 varieties of animal feed groups totaling 203 samples collected from various provinces in China. 6 BPs were found in these feed samples, with a total detection frequency of 75.5%. The total concentration of all BPs (Σ6BPs) in each type of feed ranged from below the limit of detection to 75.3 ng g−1, with an overall mean value of 4.52 ng g−1. The frequency of BPs contamination and the Σ6BPs values were found to be higher in animal-based feeds (Pfrequency > 0.05, Pconcentration < 0.01) than in plant-based feeds. BPA and BPS were the predominant BPs in these feed samples, accounting for (on average) 63.9% and 24.6% of the total BPs, respectively. Overall, the mean concentrations of BPA in these animal feeds were much lower than the legal limits set by China and European Union, implying a low direct risk to both animal health and animal-derived food safety. However, the evident risk of the contamination of various animal-derived food items with BPs passed through the feed chain merits further investigation.