Table 1.
Examples of Regrettable Substitutions in the Literaturea
| target chemical/target chemical class (function) | end point of concern for target chemical | regrettable substitute | end point of concern for regrettable substitute | ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bisphenol-A (BPA) (plasticizer) | Endocrine disruption | Bisphenol-S (BPS), Bisphenol-F (BPF) | Endocrine activity | Ticker et al. 20195 |
| Lead (additive in gasoline) | Neurotoxicity | Methyl tert-butyl ether (MBTE) | Aquatic toxicity | Ticker et al. 20195 |
| Methylene chloride (solvent carrier in adhesives) | Acute toxicity, Carcinogenicity | 1-Bromopropane (nPB) | Carcinogenicity, Neurotoxicity | Ticker et al. 20195 |
| Methylene chloride (brake cleaners) | Acute toxicity, Carcinogenicity | n-Hexane | Neurotoxicity | Ticker et al. 20195 |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (flame retardant) | Persistence, Neurotoxicity, Reproductive toxicity, Carcinogenicity (penta and deca) | Tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate | Carcinogenicity, Aquatic toxicity | Ticker et al. 20195 |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) (metal degreaser) | Carcinogenicity | 1-Bromopropane (nPB) | Neurotoxicity, Carcinogenicity | Ticker et al. 20195 |
| Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) (refrigerant) | Ozone depletion | Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) | Greenhouse gas | Ticker et al. 20195 |
| γ-Hexachloro-cyclohexane (pesticide) | Neurotoxicity | Imidacloprid | Bee colony collapse | Fantke et al. 202015 |
| Phthalates (plasticizers) | Endocrine activity | DINCH | Endocrine activity | Jamarani et al. 201816 |
| Organochlorine, Carbamate, and Organophosphates (pesticides) | Neurotoxicity | Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) pesticides produced inside GMO | Safety unclear | Latham 201617 |
| DDT (pesticide) | Reproductive toxicity, thyroid inhibition | Cholorpyrifos | Neurotoxicity, thyroid inhibition | Ubaid ur Rahman 2021;18 Demeneix 201919 |
| Atrazine (pesticide) | Persistence, ecological effects | Terbuthylazine | Persistence, ecological effects | Latham 201617 |
| Organophosphorus and N-methyl carbamate (pesticides) | Neurotoxicity | Pesticide mix dominated by neonicotinoids and pyrethroids | Bee colony collapse | DiBartolomeis 20197 |
a
In addition to the review article by Tickner et al., we identified 6 additional chemical substitutions that were referred to as regrettable substitutions. Overall, there was a fair amount of redundancy in the literature and few articles discussed in detail the trade-offs for such substitutions. Only two quantitative analyses that were identified: one, not in the table above as it focused on a functional class (plasticizers)6 and DiBartolomeis 20197 which focused on insecticides.