On March 18, 2014, the online magazine of Chemistry World published, a news article reporting on the development of the bisphenol A (BPA) alternative bisguaiacol-F (BGF). Responding to the controversy regarding BPA’s safety, the researcher Richard Wool and his colleagues from the University of Delaware at Newark, U.S. searched for a both safe and bio-based alternative based on lignin. Lignin is a component of cell walls and a major by-product of paper production with annual production reaching 70 million tons. So far, lignin remains largely unused. The lignin based BPA-alternative BGF has a similar structure as BPA and displays comparable thermal stability and mechanical strength properties. However, the researcher claim, BGF does not have estrogenic properties. Linda Birnbaum, director of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, states that even though BGF is a good example of recycling, information concerning its safety remains limited and more toxicological assessments are needed to confirm that it is not hazardous to human health.
Emma Stoye (March 18, 2014). “BPA substitute made from paper industry leftovers.” Chemistry World.