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Wiesinger H, Bleuler C, Christen V, Favreau P, Hellweg S, Langer M, Pasquettaz R, Schönborn A, Wang Z. Legacy and Emerging Plasticizers and Stabilizers in PVC Floorings and Implications for Recycling. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:1894-1907. [PMID: 38241221 PMCID: PMC10832040 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Hazardous chemicals in building and construction plastics can lead to health risks due to indoor exposure and may contaminate recycled materials. We systematically sampled new polyvinyl chloride floorings on the Swiss market (n = 151). We performed elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence, targeted and suspect gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of ortho-phthalates and alternative plasticizers, and bioassay tests for cytotoxicity and oxidative stress, and endocrine, mutagenic, and genotoxic activities (for selected samples). Surprisingly, 16% of the samples contained regulated chemicals above 0.1 wt %, mainly lead and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Their presence is likely related to the use of recycled PVC in new flooring, highlighting that uncontrolled recycling can delay the phase-out of hazardous chemicals. Besides DEHP, 29% of the samples contained other ortho-phthalates (mainly diisononyl and diisodecyl phthalates, DiNP and DiDP) above 0.1 wt %, and 17% of the samples indicated a potential to cause biological effects. Considering some overlap between these groups, they together make up an additional 35% of the samples of potential concern. Moreover, both suspect screening and bioassay results indicate the presence of additional potentially hazardous substances. Overall, our study highlights the urgent need to accelerate the phase-out of hazardous substances, increase the transparency of chemical compositions in plastics to protect human and ecosystem health, and enable the transition to a safe and sustainable circular economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Wiesinger
- Chair
of Ecological Systems Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Bleuler
- Service
de l’air, du bruit et des rayonnements non ionisants (SABRA), Geneva Cantonal Office for the Environment, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Verena Christen
- Institute
for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland,
FHNW, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Favreau
- Service
de l’air, du bruit et des rayonnements non ionisants (SABRA), Geneva Cantonal Office for the Environment, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Hellweg
- Chair
of Ecological Systems Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
- National
Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Catalysis, Institute of Environmental
Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Miriam Langer
- Institute
for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland,
FHNW, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
- Eawag—Swiss
Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Roxane Pasquettaz
- Service
de l’air, du bruit et des rayonnements non ionisants (SABRA), Geneva Cantonal Office for the Environment, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Schönborn
- Institute
of Natural Resource Sciences, ZHAW Zurich
University of Applied Science, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Zhanyun Wang
- Chair
of Ecological Systems Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
- National
Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Catalysis, Institute of Environmental
Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
- Empa—Swiss
Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Technology and Society Laboratory, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
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Hallberg I, Björvang RD, Hadziosmanovic N, Koekkoekk J, Pikki A, van Duursen M, Lenters V, Sjunnesson Y, Holte J, Berglund L, Persson S, Olovsson M, Damdimopoulou P. Associations between lifestyle factors and levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), phthalates and parabens in follicular fluid in women undergoing fertility treatment. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 33:699-709. [PMID: 37481638 PMCID: PMC10541317 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00579-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concerns have been raised whether exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can alter reproductive functions and play a role in the aetiology of infertility in women. With increasing evidence of adverse effects, information on factors associated with exposure is necessary to form firm recommendations aiming at reducing exposure. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to identify associations between lifestyle factors including the home environment, use of personal care products (PCP), and dietary habits and concentrations of EDCs in ovarian follicular fluid. METHODS April-June 2016, 185 women undergoing ovum pick-up for in vitro fertilisation in Sweden were recruited. Correlation analyses were performed between self-reported lifestyle factors and concentration of EDCs analysed in follicular fluid. Habits related to cleaning, PCPs, and diet were assessed together with concentration of six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) [PFHxS, PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFDA and PFUnDA], methyl paraben and eight phthalate metabolites [MECPP, MEHPP, MEOHP, MEHP, cxMinCH, cxMiNP, ohMiNP, MEP, MOHiBP]. Spearman's partial correlations were adjusted for age, parity and BMI. RESULTS Significant associations were discovered between multiple lifestyle factors and concentrations of EDCs in ovarian follicular fluid. After correcting p values for multiple testing, frequent use of perfume was associated with MEP (correlation ρ = 0.41 (confidence interval 0.21-0.47), p < 0.001); hens' egg consumption was positively associated with PFOS (ρ = 0.30 (0.15-0.43), p = 0.007) and PFUnDA (ρ = 0.27 (0.12-0.40), p = 0.036). White fish consumption was positively associated with PFUnDA (ρ = 0.34 (0.20-0.47), p < 0.001) and PFDA (ρ = 0.27 (0.13-0.41), p = 0.028). More correlations were discovered when considering the raw uncorrected p values. Altogether, our results suggest that multiple lifestyle variables affect chemical contamination of follicular fluid. IMPACT STATEMENT This study shows how lifestyle factors correlate with the level of contamination in the ovary by both persistent and semi-persistent chemicals in women of reproductive age. Subsequently, these data can be used to form recommendations regarding lifestyle to mitigate possible negative health outcomes and fertility problems associated with chemical exposure, and to inform chemical policy decision making. Our study can also help form the basis for the design of larger observational and intervention studies to examine possible effects of lifestyle changes on exposure levels, and to unravel the complex interactions between biological factors, lifestyle and chemical exposures in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Hallberg
- Department of Women´s and Children´s Health, Uppsala University, SE-751 85, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Richelle D Björvang
- Department of Women´s and Children´s Health, Uppsala University, SE-751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Jacco Koekkoekk
- Environment and Health, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Pikki
- Carl von Linnékliniken, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Majorie van Duursen
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CG, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Virissa Lenters
- Environment and Health, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CG, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ylva Sjunnesson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Holte
- Department of Women´s and Children´s Health, Uppsala University, SE-751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
- Carl von Linnékliniken, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Berglund
- School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, SE-791 88, Falun, Sweden
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, SE-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara Persson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Matts Olovsson
- Department of Women´s and Children´s Health, Uppsala University, SE-751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pauliina Damdimopoulou
- Uppsala clinical Research Center, Uppsala University, SE-751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden
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Chen HK, Chang YH, Sun CW, Wu MT, Chen ML, Wang SL, Hsieh CJ. Associations of urinary phthalate metabolites with household environments among mothers and their preschool-age children. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 262:115162. [PMID: 37352583 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates have become a matter of public health concern due to their extensive use worldwide and negative health effects. The evaluation of potential sources of phthalate exposure is crucial to design prevention strategies, especially for vulnerable populations. This study included 528 mother-child pairs in the Taiwan Mother Infant Cohort Study who were followed up at ages 3-6 years between 2016 and 2020. Each mother was interviewed by using a structured questionnaire containing questions on demographic characteristics and household environment factors, such as the use of plastic food packaging, residential visible mold, insecticide sprays, and electric mosquito repellents. Eleven phthalate metabolites were analyzed in urine samples simultaneously collected from the mother-child pairs. The phthalate metabolite urinary concentrations were higher among the children than among their mothers, except those of mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) and mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that urine samples collected during the summer showed higher concentrations of phthalate metabolites than those collected during the winter. Family income levels had negative associations with the concentrations of MnBP and metabolites of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in children. The use of plastic food packaging was positively associated with mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) and metabolites of DEHP in mothers. Residential visible mold or mold stains were significantly associated with higher MnBP and DEHP metabolite concentrations in children. The use of insecticide sprays was positively associated with MnBP concentrations in children. Significant associations between household environmental factors and phthalate exposure were mostly found in children, potentially indicating different exposure pathways between mothers and their children. Findings from this study provide additional information for the design of prevention strategies to protect the health of children and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsing-Kang Chen
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Hsun Chang
- Department of Pediatrics, Hualien Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC; School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chien-Wen Sun
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Tsang Wu
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Mei-Lien Chen
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Shu-Li Wang
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Safety, Health, and Environmental Engineering, National United University, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Chia-Jung Hsieh
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Public Health, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC.
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4
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Landrigan PJ, Raps H, Cropper M, Bald C, Brunner M, Canonizado EM, Charles D, Chiles TC, Donohue MJ, Enck J, Fenichel P, Fleming LE, Ferrier-Pages C, Fordham R, Gozt A, Griffin C, Hahn ME, Haryanto B, Hixson R, Ianelli H, James BD, Kumar P, Laborde A, Law KL, Martin K, Mu J, Mulders Y, Mustapha A, Niu J, Pahl S, Park Y, Pedrotti ML, Pitt JA, Ruchirawat M, Seewoo BJ, Spring M, Stegeman JJ, Suk W, Symeonides C, Takada H, Thompson RC, Vicini A, Wang Z, Whitman E, Wirth D, Wolff M, Yousuf AK, Dunlop S. The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health. Ann Glob Health 2023; 89:23. [PMID: 36969097 PMCID: PMC10038118 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Plastics have conveyed great benefits to humanity and made possible some of the most significant advances of modern civilization in fields as diverse as medicine, electronics, aerospace, construction, food packaging, and sports. It is now clear, however, that plastics are also responsible for significant harms to human health, the economy, and the earth's environment. These harms occur at every stage of the plastic life cycle, from extraction of the coal, oil, and gas that are its main feedstocks through to ultimate disposal into the environment. The extent of these harms not been systematically assessed, their magnitude not fully quantified, and their economic costs not comprehensively counted. Goals The goals of this Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health are to comprehensively examine plastics' impacts across their life cycle on: (1) human health and well-being; (2) the global environment, especially the ocean; (3) the economy; and (4) vulnerable populations-the poor, minorities, and the world's children. On the basis of this examination, the Commission offers science-based recommendations designed to support development of a Global Plastics Treaty, protect human health, and save lives. Report Structure This Commission report contains seven Sections. Following an Introduction, Section 2 presents a narrative review of the processes involved in plastic production, use, and disposal and notes the hazards to human health and the environment associated with each of these stages. Section 3 describes plastics' impacts on the ocean and notes the potential for plastic in the ocean to enter the marine food web and result in human exposure. Section 4 details plastics' impacts on human health. Section 5 presents a first-order estimate of plastics' health-related economic costs. Section 6 examines the intersection between plastic, social inequity, and environmental injustice. Section 7 presents the Commission's findings and recommendations. Plastics Plastics are complex, highly heterogeneous, synthetic chemical materials. Over 98% of plastics are produced from fossil carbon- coal, oil and gas. Plastics are comprised of a carbon-based polymer backbone and thousands of additional chemicals that are incorporated into polymers to convey specific properties such as color, flexibility, stability, water repellence, flame retardation, and ultraviolet resistance. Many of these added chemicals are highly toxic. They include carcinogens, neurotoxicants and endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, bisphenols, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants, and organophosphate flame retardants. They are integral components of plastic and are responsible for many of plastics' harms to human health and the environment.Global plastic production has increased almost exponentially since World War II, and in this time more than 8,300 megatons (Mt) of plastic have been manufactured. Annual production volume has grown from under 2 Mt in 1950 to 460 Mt in 2019, a 230-fold increase, and is on track to triple by 2060. More than half of all plastic ever made has been produced since 2002. Single-use plastics account for 35-40% of current plastic production and represent the most rapidly growing segment of plastic manufacture.Explosive recent growth in plastics production reflects a deliberate pivot by the integrated multinational fossil-carbon corporations that produce coal, oil and gas and that also manufacture plastics. These corporations are reducing their production of fossil fuels and increasing plastics manufacture. The two principal factors responsible for this pivot are decreasing global demand for carbon-based fuels due to increases in 'green' energy, and massive expansion of oil and gas production due to fracking.Plastic manufacture is energy-intensive and contributes significantly to climate change. At present, plastic production is responsible for an estimated 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the contribution of Brazil. This fraction is projected to increase to 4.5% by 2060 if current trends continue unchecked. Plastic Life Cycle The plastic life cycle has three phases: production, use, and disposal. In production, carbon feedstocks-coal, gas, and oil-are transformed through energy-intensive, catalytic processes into a vast array of products. Plastic use occurs in every aspect of modern life and results in widespread human exposure to the chemicals contained in plastic. Single-use plastics constitute the largest portion of current use, followed by synthetic fibers and construction.Plastic disposal is highly inefficient, with recovery and recycling rates below 10% globally. The result is that an estimated 22 Mt of plastic waste enters the environment each year, much of it single-use plastic and are added to the more than 6 gigatons of plastic waste that have accumulated since 1950. Strategies for disposal of plastic waste include controlled and uncontrolled landfilling, open burning, thermal conversion, and export. Vast quantities of plastic waste are exported each year from high-income to low-income countries, where it accumulates in landfills, pollutes air and water, degrades vital ecosystems, befouls beaches and estuaries, and harms human health-environmental injustice on a global scale. Plastic-laden e-waste is particularly problematic. Environmental Findings Plastics and plastic-associated chemicals are responsible for widespread pollution. They contaminate aquatic (marine and freshwater), terrestrial, and atmospheric environments globally. The ocean is the ultimate destination for much plastic, and plastics are found throughout the ocean, including coastal regions, the sea surface, the deep sea, and polar sea ice. Many plastics appear to resist breakdown in the ocean and could persist in the global environment for decades. Macro- and micro-plastic particles have been identified in hundreds of marine species in all major taxa, including species consumed by humans. Trophic transfer of microplastic particles and the chemicals within them has been demonstrated. Although microplastic particles themselves (>10 µm) appear not to undergo biomagnification, hydrophobic plastic-associated chemicals bioaccumulate in marine animals and biomagnify in marine food webs. The amounts and fates of smaller microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs <10 µm) in aquatic environments are poorly understood, but the potential for harm is worrying given their mobility in biological systems. Adverse environmental impacts of plastic pollution occur at multiple levels from molecular and biochemical to population and ecosystem. MNP contamination of seafood results in direct, though not well quantified, human exposure to plastics and plastic-associated chemicals. Marine plastic pollution endangers the ocean ecosystems upon which all humanity depends for food, oxygen, livelihood, and well-being. Human Health Findings Coal miners, oil workers and gas field workers who extract fossil carbon feedstocks for plastic production suffer increased mortality from traumatic injury, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, silicosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Plastic production workers are at increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, hepatic angiosarcoma, brain cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, neurotoxic injury, and decreased fertility. Workers producing plastic textiles die of bladder cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and interstitial lung disease at increased rates. Plastic recycling workers have increased rates of cardiovascular disease, toxic metal poisoning, neuropathy, and lung cancer. Residents of "fenceline" communities adjacent to plastic production and waste disposal sites experience increased risks of premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, childhood leukemia, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.During use and also in disposal, plastics release toxic chemicals including additives and residual monomers into the environment and into people. National biomonitoring surveys in the USA document population-wide exposures to these chemicals. Plastic additives disrupt endocrine function and increase risk for premature births, neurodevelopmental disorders, male reproductive birth defects, infertility, obesity, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and cancers. Chemical-laden MNPs formed through the environmental degradation of plastic waste can enter living organisms, including humans. Emerging, albeit still incomplete evidence indicates that MNPs may cause toxicity due to their physical and toxicological effects as well as by acting as vectors that transport toxic chemicals and bacterial pathogens into tissues and cells.Infants in the womb and young children are two populations at particularly high risk of plastic-related health effects. Because of the exquisite sensitivity of early development to hazardous chemicals and children's unique patterns of exposure, plastic-associated exposures are linked to increased risks of prematurity, stillbirth, low birth weight, birth defects of the reproductive organs, neurodevelopmental impairment, impaired lung growth, and childhood cancer. Early-life exposures to plastic-associated chemicals also increase the risk of multiple non-communicable diseases later in life. Economic Findings Plastic's harms to human health result in significant economic costs. We estimate that in 2015 the health-related costs of plastic production exceeded $250 billion (2015 Int$) globally, and that in the USA alone the health costs of disease and disability caused by the plastic-associated chemicals PBDE, BPA and DEHP exceeded $920 billion (2015 Int$). Plastic production results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to 1.96 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2e) annually. Using the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) social cost of carbon metric, we estimate the annual costs of these GHG emissions to be $341 billion (2015 Int$).These costs, large as they are, almost certainly underestimate the full economic losses resulting from plastics' negative impacts on human health and the global environment. All of plastics' economic costs-and also its social costs-are externalized by the petrochemical and plastic manufacturing industry and are borne by citizens, taxpayers, and governments in countries around the world without compensation. Social Justice Findings The adverse effects of plastics and plastic pollution on human health, the economy and the environment are not evenly distributed. They disproportionately affect poor, disempowered, and marginalized populations such as workers, racial and ethnic minorities, "fenceline" communities, Indigenous groups, women, and children, all of whom had little to do with creating the current plastics crisis and lack the political influence or the resources to address it. Plastics' harmful impacts across its life cycle are most keenly felt in the Global South, in small island states, and in disenfranchised areas in the Global North. Social and environmental justice (SEJ) principles require reversal of these inequitable burdens to ensure that no group bears a disproportionate share of plastics' negative impacts and that those who benefit economically from plastic bear their fair share of its currently externalized costs. Conclusions It is now clear that current patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal are not sustainable and are responsible for significant harms to human health, the environment, and the economy as well as for deep societal injustices.The main driver of these worsening harms is an almost exponential and still accelerating increase in global plastic production. Plastics' harms are further magnified by low rates of recovery and recycling and by the long persistence of plastic waste in the environment.The thousands of chemicals in plastics-monomers, additives, processing agents, and non-intentionally added substances-include amongst their number known human carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, and persistent organic pollutants. These chemicals are responsible for many of plastics' known harms to human and planetary health. The chemicals leach out of plastics, enter the environment, cause pollution, and result in human exposure and disease. All efforts to reduce plastics' hazards must address the hazards of plastic-associated chemicals. Recommendations To protect human and planetary health, especially the health of vulnerable and at-risk populations, and put the world on track to end plastic pollution by 2040, this Commission supports urgent adoption by the world's nations of a strong and comprehensive Global Plastics Treaty in accord with the mandate set forth in the March 2022 resolution of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).International measures such as a Global Plastics Treaty are needed to curb plastic production and pollution, because the harms to human health and the environment caused by plastics, plastic-associated chemicals and plastic waste transcend national boundaries, are planetary in their scale, and have disproportionate impacts on the health and well-being of people in the world's poorest nations. Effective implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty will require that international action be coordinated and complemented by interventions at the national, regional, and local levels.This Commission urges that a cap on global plastic production with targets, timetables, and national contributions be a central provision of the Global Plastics Treaty. We recommend inclusion of the following additional provisions:The Treaty needs to extend beyond microplastics and marine litter to include all of the many thousands of chemicals incorporated into plastics.The Treaty needs to include a provision banning or severely restricting manufacture and use of unnecessary, avoidable, and problematic plastic items, especially single-use items such as manufactured plastic microbeads.The Treaty needs to include requirements on extended producer responsibility (EPR) that make fossil carbon producers, plastic producers, and the manufacturers of plastic products legally and financially responsible for the safety and end-of-life management of all the materials they produce and sell.The Treaty needs to mandate reductions in the chemical complexity of plastic products; health-protective standards for plastics and plastic additives; a requirement for use of sustainable non-toxic materials; full disclosure of all components; and traceability of components. International cooperation will be essential to implementing and enforcing these standards.The Treaty needs to include SEJ remedies at each stage of the plastic life cycle designed to fill gaps in community knowledge and advance both distributional and procedural equity.This Commission encourages inclusion in the Global Plastic Treaty of a provision calling for exploration of listing at least some plastic polymers as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention.This Commission encourages a strong interface between the Global Plastics Treaty and the Basel and London Conventions to enhance management of hazardous plastic waste and slow current massive exports of plastic waste into the world's least-developed countries.This Commission recommends the creation of a Permanent Science Policy Advisory Body to guide the Treaty's implementation. The main priorities of this Body would be to guide Member States and other stakeholders in evaluating which solutions are most effective in reducing plastic consumption, enhancing plastic waste recovery and recycling, and curbing the generation of plastic waste. This Body could also assess trade-offs among these solutions and evaluate safer alternatives to current plastics. It could monitor the transnational export of plastic waste. It could coordinate robust oceanic-, land-, and air-based MNP monitoring programs.This Commission recommends urgent investment by national governments in research into solutions to the global plastic crisis. This research will need to determine which solutions are most effective and cost-effective in the context of particular countries and assess the risks and benefits of proposed solutions. Oceanographic and environmental research is needed to better measure concentrations and impacts of plastics <10 µm and understand their distribution and fate in the global environment. Biomedical research is needed to elucidate the human health impacts of plastics, especially MNPs. Summary This Commission finds that plastics are both a boon to humanity and a stealth threat to human and planetary health. Plastics convey enormous benefits, but current linear patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal that pay little attention to sustainable design or safe materials and a near absence of recovery, reuse, and recycling are responsible for grave harms to health, widespread environmental damage, great economic costs, and deep societal injustices. These harms are rapidly worsening.While there remain gaps in knowledge about plastics' harms and uncertainties about their full magnitude, the evidence available today demonstrates unequivocally that these impacts are great and that they will increase in severity in the absence of urgent and effective intervention at global scale. Manufacture and use of essential plastics may continue. However, reckless increases in plastic production, and especially increases in the manufacture of an ever-increasing array of unnecessary single-use plastic products, need to be curbed.Global intervention against the plastic crisis is needed now because the costs of failure to act will be immense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J. Landrigan
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Medical Biology Department, MC
| | - Hervé Raps
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Medical Biology Department, MC
| | - Maureen Cropper
- Economics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, US
| | - Caroline Bald
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Patrick Fenichel
- Université Côte d’Azur
- Centre Hospitalier, Universitaire de Nice, FR
| | - Lora E. Fleming
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, UK
| | | | | | | | - Carly Griffin
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Mark E. Hahn
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
- Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, US
| | - Budi Haryanto
- Department of Environmental Health, Universitas Indonesia, ID
- Research Center for Climate Change, Universitas Indonesia, ID
| | - Richard Hixson
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Hannah Ianelli
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Bryan D. James
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | | | - Amalia Laborde
- Department of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, UY
| | | | - Keith Martin
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health, US
| | - Jenna Mu
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | - Adetoun Mustapha
- Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria
- Lead City University, NG
| | - Jia Niu
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, US
| | - Sabine Pahl
- University of Vienna, Austria
- University of Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Maria-Luiza Pedrotti
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche sur mer (LOV), Sorbonne Université, FR
| | | | | | - Bhedita Jaya Seewoo
- Minderoo Foundation, AU
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, AU
| | | | - John J. Stegeman
- Biology Department and Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | - William Suk
- Superfund Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, US
| | | | - Hideshige Takada
- Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry (LOG), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, JP
| | | | | | - Zhanyun Wang
- Technology and Society Laboratory, WEmpa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials and Technology, CH
| | - Ella Whitman
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | | | - Aroub K. Yousuf
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Sarah Dunlop
- Minderoo Foundation, AU
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, AU
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5
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Liang HW, Snyder N, Wang J, Xun X, Yin Q, LeWinn K, Carroll KN, Bush NR, Kannan K, Barrett ES, Mitchell RT, Tylavsky F, Adibi JJ. A study on the association of placental and maternal urinary phthalate metabolites. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 33:264-272. [PMID: 36114292 PMCID: PMC10101560 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00478-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phthalate exposure in pregnancy is typically estimated using maternal urinary phthalate metabolite levels. Our aim was to evaluate the association of urinary and placental tissue phthalates, and to explore the role of maternal and pregnancy characteristics that may bias estimates. METHODS Fifty pregnancies were selected from the CANDLE Study, recruited from 2006 to 2011 in Tennessee. Linear models were used to estimate associations of urinary phthalates (2nd, 3rd trimesters) and placental tissue phthalates (birth). Potential confounders and modifiers were evaluated in categories: temporality (time between urine and placenta sample), fetal sex, demographics, social advantage, reproductive history, medication use, nutrition and adiposity. Molar and quantile normalized phthalates were calculated to facilitate comparison of placental and urinary levels. RESULTS Metabolites detectable in >80% of both urine and placental samples were MEP, MnBP, MBzP, MECPP, MEOHP, MEHHP, and MEHP. MEP was most abundant in urine (geometric mean [GM] 7.00 ×102 nmol/l) and in placental tissue (GM 2.56 ×104 nmol/l). MEHP was the least abundant in urine (GM 5.32 ×101 nmol/l) and second most abundant in placental tissue (2.04 ×104 nmol/l). In aggregate, MEHP differed the most between urine and placenta (2.21 log units), and MEHHP differed the least (0.07 log units). MECPP was positively associated between urine and placenta (regression coefficient: 0.31 95% CI 0.09, 0.53). Other urine-placenta metabolite associations were modified by measures of social advantage, reproductive history, medication use, and adiposity. CONCLUSION Phthalates were ubiquitous in 50 full-term placental samples, as has already been shown in maternal urine. MEP and MEHP were the most abundant. Measurement and comparison of urinary and placental phthalates can advance knowledge on phthalate toxicity in pregnancy and provide insight into the validity and accuracy of relying on maternal urinary concentrations to estimate placental exposures. IMPACT STATEMENT This is the first report of correlations/associations of urinary and placental tissue phthalates in human pregnancy. Epidemiologists have relied exclusively on maternal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations to assess exposures in pregnant women and risk to their fetuses. Even though it has not yet been confirmed empirically, it is widely assumed that urinary concentrations are strongly and positively correlated with placental and fetal levels. Our data suggest that may not be the case, and these associations may vary by phthalate metabolite and associations may be modified by measures of social advantage, reproductive history, medication use, and adiposity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Wei Liang
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nathaniel Snyder
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jiebiao Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xiaoshuang Xun
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Qing Yin
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kaja LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kecia N Carroll
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily S Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Rod T Mitchell
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Fran Tylavsky
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer J Adibi
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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6
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Smith AR, Kogut KR, Parra K, Bradman A, Holland N, Harley KG. Dietary intake and household exposures as predictors of urinary concentrations of high molecular weight phthalates and bisphenol A in a cohort of adolescents. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2022; 32:37-47. [PMID: 33619365 PMCID: PMC8380263 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-021-00305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are endocrine disrupting chemicals used in consumer products, building materials, and food processing and packaging materials. They are associated with adverse health outcomes, especially when exposure occurs during heightened windows of susceptibility. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the relationship between housing and dietary characteristics and the concentration of several high-molecular-weight (HMW) phthalate metabolites and BPA in a cohort of Latina adolescents. METHODS We collected information on recent food consumption and housing characteristics and quantified the concentration of HMW phthalate and BPA metabolites in urine collected at two different time points. We used generalized estimating equations (GEE) to assess predictors of each metabolite. RESULTS No significant associations were observed between housing and dietary characteristics and metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) or BPA. In contrast, higher urinary monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) concentration was associated with living in a home with vinyl or linoleum flooring (66.7% change, p-value <0.01), while higher urinary mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP) concentration was associated with recent consumption of coffee (47.2% change, p-value <0.01), and fast food (30.3% change, p-value <0.05). SIGNIFICANCE These findings may be useful in targeting interventions that reduce phthalate uptake in young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R Smith
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Katherine R Kogut
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kimberly Parra
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Asa Bradman
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Nina Holland
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kim G Harley
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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7
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Zhang Y, Li J, Su G. Identifying Citric Acid Esters, a Class of Phthalate Substitute Plasticizers, in Indoor Dust via an Integrated Target, Suspect, and Characteristic Fragment-Dependent Screening Strategy. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:13961-13970. [PMID: 34598436 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Citrate acid esters (CAEs) have been proposed as a class of phthalate substitute plasticizers; however, information on their occurrence in indoor environments is rare. By using liquid chromatography coupled with a quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer, we developed an integrated strategy that can be applied for target, suspect, and characteristic fragment-dependent screening of CAEs. In n = 50 indoor dust samples collected from Nanjing City (China), three CAEs, namely, acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC; mean: 412,000 ng/g), tributyl citrate (TBC, 11,600 ng/g), and triethyl citrate (TEC, 10,900 ng/g), exhibited the greatest contamination levels. Total concentrations of CAEs (∑8CAEs) were statistically significantly (p < 0.01) greater than those of common organophosphate triesters (OPTEs), a class of ubiquitous contaminants in dust. Suspect and characteristic fragment-dependent screening (m/z 111.0078 ([C5H3O3]+) and m/z 129.0181 ([C5H5O4]+)) of CAEs were further conducted for the same batch of samples. We tentatively identified six novel CAEs, and the most frequent and abundant CAE was fully identified as tributyl aconitate (TBA). Statistically significant correlation relationships were observed on dust levels between TBA vs ATBC (r = 0.650; p < 0.01) and TBA vs TBC (r = 0.384; p < 0.01), suggesting their similar sources in dust samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayun Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, P. R. China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, P. R. China
| | - Guanyong Su
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, P. R. China
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8
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Preece AS, Shu H, Knutz M, Krais AM, Bekö G, Bornehag CG. Indoor phthalate exposure and contributions to total intake among pregnant women in the SELMA study. INDOOR AIR 2021; 31:1495-1508. [PMID: 33751666 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates are widely used in consumer products. Exposure to phthalates can lead to adverse health effects in humans, with early-life exposure being of particular concern. Phthalate exposure occurs mainly through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption. However, our understanding of the relative importance of different exposure routes is incomplete. This study estimated the intake of five phthalates from the residential indoor environment for 455 Swedish pregnant women in the SELMA study using phthalate mass fraction in indoor dust and compares these to total daily phthalate intakes back-calculated from phthalate metabolite concentrations in the women's urine. Steady-state models were used to estimate indoor air phthalate concentrations from dust measurements. Intakes from residential dust and air made meaningful contributions to total daily intakes of more volatile di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP) (11% of total DEP intake and 28% of total DnBP and DiBP intake combined). Dermal absorption from air was the dominant pathway contributing to the indoor environmental exposure. Residential exposure to less volatile phthalates made minor contributions to total intake. These results suggest that reducing the presence of low molecular weight phthalates in the residential indoor environment can meaningfully reduce phthalate intake among pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Sofia Preece
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Huan Shu
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Malin Knutz
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Annette M Krais
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gabriel Bekö
- Department of Civil Engineering, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
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9
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Jung M, Kim MJ, Kim S, Kyung Y, Kim M, Lee JY, Jeong HI, Lee BR, Kim J, Ahn K, Park YM. Effect of prenatal phthalate exposure on childhood atopic dermatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Allergy Asthma Proc 2021; 42:e116-e125. [PMID: 34187630 DOI: 10.2500/aap.2021.42.210036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background: The association between prenatal exposure to phthalate and childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) has previously been investigated; however, the results are inconsistent. Objective: We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of birth cohort studies to investigate whether prenatal exposure to phthalate increases the risk of developing AD in children. Methods: We performed an electronic search of medical literature data bases. Studies were critically appraised, and a meta-analysis was performed. Results: Among 129 articles identified, 11 studies met the eligibility criteria. Included studies originated from Europe (n = 5), the United States (n = 4), and Asia (n = 2). The study sample size ranged from 147 to 1024 mother-child pairs. Quality assessment by using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale of all the studies had scores of ≥6. A meta-analysis of data from eight selected studies suggested that monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) exposure was significantly associated with the risk of AD development (odds ratio 1.16 [95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.31]; I² = 17.36%). However, AD development was not associated with other phthalate metabolites, such as mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, monoethyl phthalate, mono-isobutyl phthalate, mono-n-butyl phthalate, and the sum of di-[2-ethylhexyl] phthalate on the development of AD (all p values were > 0.05). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggested that prenatal exposure to phthalates may be associated with the development of childhood AD. However, further research is needed because only MBzP showed statistical significance and the number of articles in the literature is still insufficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyoung Jung
- From the Department of Pediatrics, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Kosin University School of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ji Kim
- Statistics and Data Center, Research Institute for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonwoo Kim
- Statistics and Data Center, Research Institute for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yechan Kyung
- Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Minji Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital, Sejong, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Young Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-In Jeong
- Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo Ra Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyun Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kangmo Ahn
- Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Mean Park
- Department of Pediatrics, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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10
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González-Mariño I, Ares L, Montes R, Rodil R, Cela R, López-García E, Postigo C, López de Alda M, Pocurull E, Marcé RM, Bijlsma L, Hernández F, Picó Y, Andreu V, Rico A, Valcárcel Y, Miró M, Etxebarria N, Quintana JB. Assessing population exposure to phthalate plasticizers in thirteen Spanish cities through the analysis of wastewater. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 401:123272. [PMID: 32645544 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates are widely used plasticizers that produce endocrine-disrupting disorders. Quantifying exposure is crucial to perform risk assessments and to develop proper health measures. Herein, a wastewater-based epidemiology approach has been applied to estimate human exposure to six of the mostly used phthalates within the Spanish population. Wastewater samples were collected over four weekdays from seventeen wastewater treatment plants serving thirteen cities and ca. 6 million people (12.8 % of the Spanish population). Phthalate metabolite loads in wastewater were transformed into metabolite concentrations in urine and into daily exposure levels to the parent phthalates. Considering all the sampled sites, population-weighted overall means of the estimated concentrations in urine varied between 0.7 ng/mL and 520 ng/mL. Very high levels, compared to human biomonitoring data, were estimated for monomethyl phthalate, metabolite of dimethyl phthalate. This, together with literature data pointing to other sources of this metabolite in sewage led to its exclusion for exposure assessments. For the remaining metabolites, estimated concentrations were closer to those found in urine. Their 4-days average exposure levels ranged from 2 to 1347 μg/(day∙inh), exceeding in some sites the daily exposure thresholds set for di-i-butyl phthalate and di-n-buthyl phthalate by the European Food Safety Authority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iria González-Mariño
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Research on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University of Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Leticia Ares
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Research on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Rosa Montes
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Research on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Rosario Rodil
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Research on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Rafael Cela
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Research on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ester López-García
- Water, Environmental and Food Chemistry Unit (ENFOCHEM), Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Postigo
- Water, Environmental and Food Chemistry Unit (ENFOCHEM), Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miren López de Alda
- Water, Environmental and Food Chemistry Unit (ENFOCHEM), Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Pocurull
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Rosa María Marcé
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Lubertus Bijlsma
- Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, E-12071 Castellón, Spain
| | - Félix Hernández
- Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, E-12071 Castellón, Spain
| | - Yolanda Picó
- Food and Environmental Safety Research Group (SAMA-UV) - CIDE (CSIC-University of Valencia-GV), University of Valencia, 46113 Moncada, Spain
| | - Vicente Andreu
- Food and Environmental Safety Research Group (SAMA-UV) - CIDE (CSIC-University of Valencia-GV), University of Valencia, 46113 Moncada, Spain
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Yolanda Valcárcel
- Group of Risks for the Environmental and Public Health (RiSAMA), Medical Specialities and Public Health, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933 Móstoles (Madrid), Spain
| | - Manuel Miró
- FI-TRACE Group, Department of Chemistry, University of the Balearic Islands, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Néstor Etxebarria
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - José Benito Quintana
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Research on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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11
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Eichler CMA, Hubal EAC, Xu Y, Cao J, Bi C, Weschler CJ, Salthammer T, Morrison GC, Koivisto AJ, Zhang Y, Mandin C, Wei W, Blondeau P, Poppendieck D, Liu X, Delmaar CJE, Fantke P, Jolliet O, Shin HM, Diamond ML, Shiraiwa M, Zuend A, Hopke PK, von Goetz N, Kulmala M, Little JC. Assessing Human Exposure to SVOCs in Materials, Products, and Articles: A Modular Mechanistic Framework. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:25-43. [PMID: 33319994 PMCID: PMC7877794 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
A critical review of the current state of knowledge of chemical emissions from indoor sources, partitioning among indoor compartments, and the ensuing indoor exposure leads to a proposal for a modular mechanistic framework for predicting human exposure to semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Mechanistically consistent source emission categories include solid, soft, frequent contact, applied, sprayed, and high temperature sources. Environmental compartments are the gas phase, airborne particles, settled dust, indoor surfaces, and clothing. Identified research needs are the development of dynamic emission models for several of the source emission categories and of estimation strategies for critical model parameters. The modular structure of the framework facilitates subsequent inclusion of new knowledge, other chemical classes of indoor pollutants, and additional mechanistic processes relevant to human exposure indoors. The framework may serve as the foundation for developing an open-source community model to better support collaborative research and improve access for application by stakeholders. Combining exposure estimates derived using this framework with toxicity data for different end points and toxicokinetic mechanisms will accelerate chemical risk prioritization, advance effective chemical management decisions, and protect public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara M A Eichler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Elaine A Cohen Hubal
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianping Cao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Chenyang Bi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
| | - Charles J Weschler
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Tunga Salthammer
- Fraunhofer WKI, Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Braunschweig 38108, Germany
| | - Glenn C Morrison
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Antti Joonas Koivisto
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Yinping Zhang
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Corinne Mandin
- University of Paris-Est, Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB), French Indoor Air Quality Observatory (OQAI), Champs sur Marne 77447, France
| | - Wenjuan Wei
- University of Paris-Est, Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB), French Indoor Air Quality Observatory (OQAI), Champs sur Marne 77447, France
| | - Patrice Blondeau
- Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Ingénieur pour l'Environnement - LaSIE, Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle 77447, France
| | - Dustin Poppendieck
- Engineering Lab, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Christiaan J E Delmaar
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Center for Safety of Substances and Products, Bilthoven 3720, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Fantke
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Hyeong-Moo Shin
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
| | - Miriam L Diamond
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B1, Canada
| | - Manabu Shiraiwa
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Andreas Zuend
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A0B9, Canada
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699-5708, United States
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | | | - Markku Kulmala
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - John C Little
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
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12
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Lee G, Kim S, Bastiaensen M, Malarvannan G, Poma G, Caballero Casero N, Gys C, Covaci A, Lee S, Lim JE, Mok S, Moon HB, Choi G, Choi K. Exposure to organophosphate esters, phthalates, and alternative plasticizers in association with uterine fibroids. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 189:109874. [PMID: 32678732 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals is suggested to be responsible for the development or progression of uterine fibroids. However, little is known about risks related to emerging chemicals, such as organophosphate esters (OPEs) and alternative plasticizers (APs). A case-control study was conducted to investigate whether exposures to OPEs, APs, and phthalates, were associated with uterine fibroids in women of reproductive age. For this purpose, the cases (n = 32) and the matching controls (n = 79) were chosen based on the results of gynecologic ultrasonography among premenopausal adult women in Korea and measured for metabolites of several OPEs, APs, and major phthalates. Logistic regression models were employed to assess the associations between chemical exposure and disease status. Factor analysis was conducted for multiple chemical exposure assessments as a secondary analysis. Among OPE metabolites, diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), 2-ethylhexyl phenyl phosphate (EHPHP), and 1-hydroxy-2-propyl bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPHIPP) were detected in >80% of the subjects. Among APs, metabolites of di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and di(2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DPrHpP) were detected in >75% of the urine samples. The odds ratios (ORs) of uterine fibroids were significantly higher among the women with higher exposures to tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHTP), DPrHpP, and di-(iso-nonyl)-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH). In addition, urinary concentrations of mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), a sum of five di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites (∑5DEHP), and mono(4-methyl-7-hydroxyoctyl) phthalate (OH-MINP) were significantly higher in the cases. In factor analysis, a factor heavily loaded with DPrHpP and DEHP was significantly associated with uterine fibroids, supporting the observation from the single chemical regression model. We found for the first time that several metabolites of OPEs and APs are associated with increased risks of uterine fibroids among pre-menopausal women. Further epidemiological and mechanistic studies are warranted to validate the associations observed in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gowoon Lee
- School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunmi Kim
- School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Michiel Bastiaensen
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Giulia Poma
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | | | - Celine Gys
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sunggyu Lee
- Department of Marine Science and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Eun Lim
- Department of Marine Science and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Sori Mok
- Department of Marine Science and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Bang Moon
- Department of Marine Science and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyuyeon Choi
- College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungho Choi
- School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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13
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Xu H, Wu X, Liang C, Shen J, Tao S, Wen X, Liu W, Zou L, Yang Y, Xie Y, Jin Z, Li T, Tao F. Association of urinary phthalates metabolites concentration with emotional symptoms in Chinese university students. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 262:114279. [PMID: 32443185 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown the associations between phthalates exposure and psychological behavior problems in children and adolescents, but such associations have not been fully elucidated in university students, especially among Chinese university students. This study aims to examine the association between urinary phthalates metabolites concentration and emotional symptoms in Chinese university students. A school-based cross-sectional survey was carried out among 990 university students aged 17-24 years from two universities in Anhui and Jiangxi provinces of China. Concentration of six phthalate metabolites in urine was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and the emotional symptoms were assessed by the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. The detection rate of six phthalate metabolites in urine ranged from 79.6% to 99.7%. The median concentration of six phthalate metabolites ranged from 2.90 to 119.64 ng/mL. The positive rates of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress were 17.4%, 24.8%, and 9.5%, respectively. After adjusting for the confounding variables, mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) was found to be associated with depressive symptoms (β = 8.84, P = 0.017), anxiety symptoms (β = 8.46, P = 0.015), and stress symptoms (β = 9.95, P = 0.012) in males; whereas, monobutyl phthalate (MBP) was found to be associated with depressive symptoms (β = 1.86, P = 0.002), anxiety symptoms (β = 1.81, P = 0.005), and stress symptoms (β = 1.48, P = 0.047) in females. Our study demonstrates that Chinese university students are widely exposed to phthalates; and high- and low-molecular weight phthalates are associated with emotional symptoms in males and females, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglv Xu
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, PR China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, PR China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Chunmei Liang
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Jie Shen
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Shuman Tao
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Xing Wen
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, PR China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Wenwen Liu
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, PR China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Liwei Zou
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, PR China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Yajuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Yang Xie
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, PR China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Zhongxiu Jin
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Tingting Li
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, PR China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, PR China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, PR China.
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14
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Tanner EM, Hallerbäck MU, Wikström S, Lindh C, Kiviranta H, Gennings C, Bornehag CG. Early prenatal exposure to suspected endocrine disruptor mixtures is associated with lower IQ at age seven. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 134:105185. [PMID: 31668669 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are xenobiotics with the ability to interfere with hormone action, even at low levels. Prior environmental epidemiology studies link numerous suspected EDCs, including phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, results for some chemicals were inconsistent and most assessed one chemical at a time. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the overall impact of prenatal exposure to an EDC mixture on neurodevelopment in school-aged children, and identify chemicals of concern while accounting for co-exposures. METHODS Among 718 mother-child pairs from the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy study (SELMA) study, we used Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression to assess the association between 26 EDCs measured in 1st trimester urine or blood, with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (IV) Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores at age 7 years. Models were adjusted for child sex, gestational age, mother's education, mother's IQ (RAVEN), weight, and smoking status. To evaluate generalizability, we conducted repeated holdout validation, a machine learning technique. RESULTS Using repeated holdout validation, IQ scores were 1.9-points (CI = -3.6, -0.2) lower among boys for an inter-quartile-range (IQR) change in the WQS index. BPF made the largest contribution to the index with a weight of 14%. Other chemicals of concern and their weights included PBA (9%), TCP (9%), MEP (6%), MBzP (4%), PFOA (6%), PFOS (5%), PFHxS (4%), Triclosan (5%), and BPA (4%). While we did observe an inverse association between EDCs and IQ among all children when training and testing the WQS index estimate on the full dataset, these results were not robust to repeated holdout validation. CONCLUSION Among boys, early prenatal exposure to EDCs was associated with lower intellectual functioning at age 7. We identified bisphenol F as the primary chemical of concern, suggesting that the BPA replacement compound may not be any safer for children. Future studies are needed to confirm the potential neurotoxicity of replacement analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Tanner
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Sverre Wikström
- Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden; School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Christian Lindh
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hannu Kiviranta
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chris Gennings
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
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15
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Hammel SC, Levasseur JL, Hoffman K, Phillips AL, Lorenzo AM, Calafat AM, Webster TF, Stapleton HM. Children's exposure to phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers in the home: The TESIE study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 132:105061. [PMID: 31400598 PMCID: PMC7511177 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phthalates and their potential replacements, including non-phthalate plasticizers, are ubiquitous in home environments due to their presence in building materials, plastics, and personal care products. As a result, exposure to these compounds is universal. However, the primary pathways of exposure and understanding which products in the home are associated most strongly with particular exposures are unclear. OBJECTIVES We sought to investigate the relationships between phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers in paired samples of house dust, hand wipes, and their corresponding metabolites in children's urine samples (n = 180). In addition, we compared product use or presence of materials in the household against all compounds to investigate the relationship between product use or presence and exposure. METHODS Children aged 3-6 years provided hand wipe and urine samples. Questionnaires were completed by mothers or legal guardians to capture product use and housing characteristics, and house dust samples were collected from the main living area during home visits. RESULTS Phthalates and non-phthalate replacements were detected frequently in the environmental matrices. All urine samples had at least 13 of 19 phthalate or non-phthalate replacement metabolites present. Hand wipe mass and dust concentrations of diisobutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and di-isononyl phthalate were significantly associated with their corresponding urinary metabolites (rs = 0.18-0.56, p < 0.05). Bis(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHTP) in dust was also significantly and positively correlated with its urinary metabolites (rs = 0.33, p < 0.001). Vinyl flooring was most significantly and positively associated with particular phthalate exposures (indicated by concentrations in environmental matrices and urinary biomarkers). In particular, children who lived in homes with 100% vinyl flooring had urinary concentrations of monobenzyl phthalate, a BBP metabolite, that were 15 times higher than those of children who lived in homes with no vinyl flooring (p < 0.0001). Levels of BBP in hand wipes and dust were 3.5 and 4.5 times higher, respectively, in those homes with 100% vinyl flooring (p < 0.0001 for both). CONCLUSIONS This paper summarizes one of the most comprehensive phthalate and non-phthalate plasticizer investigation of potential residential exposure sources conducted in North America to date. The data presented herein provide evidence that dermal contact and hand-to-mouth behaviors are important sources of exposure to phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers. In addition, the percentage of vinyl flooring is an important consideration when examining residential exposures to these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C Hammel
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.
| | | | - Kate Hoffman
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.
| | - Allison L Phillips
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.
| | - Amelia M Lorenzo
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
| | - Thomas F Webster
- Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Heather M Stapleton
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States; Children's Health Discovery Initiative, Duke School of Medicine, NC, United States.
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16
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Castagnoli E, Backlund P, Talvitie O, Tuomi T, Valtanen A, Mikkola R, Hovi H, Leino K, Kurnitski J, Salonen H. Emissions of DEHP-free PVC flooring. INDOOR AIR 2019; 29:903-912. [PMID: 31348556 PMCID: PMC6856815 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Degrading 2-ethylhexyl-containing PVC floorings (eg DEHP-PVC floorings) and adhesives emit 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) in the indoor air. The danger of flooring degradation comes from exposing occupants to harmful phthalates plasticisers (eg DEHP), but not from 2-EH as such. Since the EU banned the use of phthalates in sensitive applications, the market is shifting to use DEHP-free and alternative types of plasticisers in PVC products. However, data on emissions from DEHP-free PVC floorings are scarce. This study aimed at assessing the surface and bulk emissions of two DEHP-free PVC floorings over three years. The floorings were glued on the screed layer of concrete casts at 75%, 85%, and 95% RH. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were actively sampled using FLEC (surface emissions) and micro-chamber/thermal extractor (µ-CTE, bulk emissions) onto Tenax TA adsorbents and analyzed with TD-GC-MS. 2-EH, C9-alcohols, and total volatile organic compound (TVOC) emissions are reported. Emissions at 75% and 85% RH were similar. As expected, the highest emissions occurred at 95% RH. 2-EH emissions originated from the adhesive. Because the two DEHP-free floorings tested emitted C9-alcohols at all tested RH, it makes the detection of flooring degradation harder, particularly if the adhesive used does not emit 2-EH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tapani Tuomi
- Finnish Institute of Occupational HealthHelsinkiFinland
| | - Arja Valtanen
- The Building Information Foundation RTS srHelsinkiFinland
| | - Raimo Mikkola
- Department of Civil EngineeringAalto UniversityEspooFinland
| | - Hanna Hovi
- Finnish Institute of Occupational HealthHelsinkiFinland
| | - Katri Leino
- Finnish Institute of Occupational HealthHelsinkiFinland
| | - Jarek Kurnitski
- Department of Civil EngineeringAalto UniversityEspooFinland
- Tallinn University of TechnologyTallinnEstonia
| | - Heidi Salonen
- Department of Civil EngineeringAalto UniversityEspooFinland
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17
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Levin-Schwartz Y, Gennings C, Schnaas L, Del Carmen Hernández Chávez M, Bellinger DC, Téllez-Rojo MM, Baccarelli AA, Wright RO. Time-varying associations between prenatal metal mixtures and rapid visual processing in children. Environ Health 2019; 18:92. [PMID: 31666078 PMCID: PMC6822453 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-019-0526-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Humans are exposed to mixtures of chemicals across their lifetimes, a concept sometimes called the "exposome." Mixtures likely have temporal "critical windows" of susceptibility like single agents and measuring them repeatedly might help to define such windows. Common approaches to evaluate the effects of chemical mixtures have focused on their effects at a single time point. Our goal is to expand upon these previous techniques and examine the time-varying critical windows for metal mixtures on subsequent neurobehavior in children. METHODS We propose two methods, joint weighted quantile sum regression (JWQS) and meta-weighted quantile sum regression (MWQS), to estimate the effects of chemical mixtures measured across multiple time points, while providing data on their critical windows of exposure. We compare the performance of both methods using simulations. We also applied both techniques to assess second and third trimester metal mixture effects in predicting performance in the Rapid Visual Processing (RVP) task from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) assessed at 6-9 years in children who are part of the PROGRESS (Programming Research in Obesity, GRowth, Environment and Social Stressors) longitudinal cohort study. The metals, arsenic, cadmium (Cd), cesium, chromium, lead (Pb) and antimony (Sb) were selected based on their toxicological profile. RESULTS In simulations, JWQS and MWQS had over 80% accuracy in classifying exposures as either strongly or weakly contributing to an association. In real data, both JWQS and MWQS consistently found that Pb and Cd exposure jointly predicted longer latency in the RVP and that second trimester exposure better predicted the results than the third trimester. Additionally, both JWQS and MWQS highlighted the strong association Cd and Sb had with lower accuracy in the RVP and that third trimester exposure was a better predictor than second trimester exposure. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that metal mixtures effects vary across time, have distinct critical windows and that both JWQS and MWQS can determine longitudinal mixture effects including the cumulative contribution of each exposure and critical windows of effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Levin-Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | | | | | - David C Bellinger
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY, 10029, USA
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18
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Giovanoulis G, Nguyen MA, Arwidsson M, Langer S, Vestergren R, Lagerqvist A. Reduction of hazardous chemicals in Swedish preschool dust through article substitution actions. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 130:104921. [PMID: 31229872 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.104921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Consumer goods and building materials present in the preschool environment can be important sources of hazardous chemicals, such as plasticizers, bisphenols, organophosphorus and brominated flame retardants, poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, which may pose a health risk to children. Even though exposure occurs via many different pathways, such as food intake, inhalation, dermal exposure, mouthing of toys etc., dust has been identified as a valuable indicator for indoor exposure. In the present study, we evaluate the efficiency of product substitution actions taken in 20 Swedish preschools from the Stockholm area to reduce the presence of hazardous substances in indoor environments. Dust samples were collected from elevated surfaces in rooms where children have their everyday activities, and the concentrations found were compared to the levels from a previous study conducted in 2015 at the same preschools. It was possible to lower levels of hazardous substances in dust, but their continued presence in the everyday environment of children was confirmed since bisphenol A, restricted phthalates and organophosphate esters were still detectable in all preschools. Also, an increase in the levels of some of the substitutes for the nowadays restricted substances was noted; some of the alternative plasticizers to phthalates, such as DEHA and DEHT, were found with increased concentrations. DINP was the dominant plasticizer in preschool dust with a median concentration of 389 μg/g, while its level was significantly (p = 0.012) higher at 716 μg/g in preschools with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring. PBDEs were now less frequently detected in dust and their levels decreased 20% to 30%. This was one of the few times that PFAS were analyzed in preschool dust, where 6:2 diPAP was found to be most abundant with a median concentration of 1140 ng/g, followed by 6:2 PAP 151 ng/g, 8:2 diPAP 36 ng/g, N-Et-FOSAA 18 ng/g, PFOS 12 ng/g, PFOA 7.7 ng/g and PFNA 1.1 ng/g. In addition, fluorotelomer alcohols were detected in 65-90% of the samples. Children's exposure via dust ingestion was evaluated using intermediate and high daily intake rates of the targeted chemicals and established health limit values. In each case, the hazard quotients (HQs) were < 1, and the risk for children to have adverse health effects from the hazardous chemicals analyzed in this study via dust ingestion was even lower after the product substitution actions were taken in preschools.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Minh Anh Nguyen
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, 100 31 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Arwidsson
- City of Stockholm Environment and Health Administration, Environmental Analysis, 104 20 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sarka Langer
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, 100 31 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robin Vestergren
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, 100 31 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anne Lagerqvist
- City of Stockholm Environment and Health Administration, Environmental Analysis, 104 20 Stockholm, Sweden
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A Method Validation for Simultaneous Determination of Phthalates and Bisphenol A Released from Plastic Water Containers. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9142945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Phthalates (or phthalate esters, PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) are widely used in various industries, particularly in the fields of cosmetics and packaging, and they increase the malleability and workability of materials. As a result of their use, some international health organizations have begun to study them. In this study, the authors developed a methodology for the simultaneous determination of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP); dibutyl phthalate (DBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); di-n-octyl-phthalate (DnOP) and bisphenol A (BPA) from drinking and non-potable waters. The extraction of PAEs and BPA was performed using a solvent-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (SB-DLLME) method. The analytical determination was performed using a gas chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT/MS) analysis. The entire procedure was validated as recoveries were studied according to the volume and the extraction solvent used, pH, and ionic strength. Dynamic linearity ranges and linear equations of all the compounds were experimentally determined as well as the limit of detection (LOD) (1–8 ng mL−1) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) (5–14 ng mL−1), reproducibility, and sensitivity. The method was applied to 15 water samples (mineral water and tap water) for determining PAEs and BPA released from the plastic container. After the release simulation, four PAEs (i.e., DiBP, DBP, DHEP, and DnOP) were determined at very low concentrations (below 1.2 ng mL−1) in two water samples from (sport) bottles.
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