SDFs do not dictate how you approximate the rendering equation beyond the fact that they are a useful way to describe surfaces. (So, for example, they are misma

SDFs do not dictate how you approximate the rendering equation beyond the fact that they are a useful way to describe surfaces. (So, for example, they are mismatched with volumetric rendering.) The characteristics you cite are generally satisfied through the BSSRDF or other material models in conjunction with surface intersection tests, not by raymarching through scattering material. NeRFs solve the entire problem differently by creating a radiance sampling oracle in the form of a neural network. So in other words, yes, you can certainly use SDFs to render those physical effects you mention. Claiming these are comparable to NeRF is pretty misleading, anyway, because NeRF is modeling a scene in a fundamentally different way than surface + material representations, with (other) distinct tradeoffs between the two methods.