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Rosen EM, Stevens DR, McNell EE, Wood ME, Engel SM, Keil AP, Calafat AM, Botelho JC, Sinkovskaya E, Przybylska A, Saade G, Abuhamad A, Ferguson KK. Longitudinal associations between urinary biomarkers of phthalates and replacements with novel in vivo measures of placental health. Hum Reprod 2024; 39:2104-2114. [PMID: 38970902 PMCID: PMC11373341 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deae152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What is the longitudinal association between gestational phthalate exposure and in vivo placental outcomes? SUMMARY ANSWER Phthalates were adversely associated with placental microvasculature, stiffness, and presence of calcification, with different metabolites associated with different outcomes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Phthalate exposure is ubiquitous and implicated as a contributor to adverse pregnancy outcomes, possibly through impacts on the placenta. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A total of 303 women were recruited in early pregnancy and prospectively followed for up to eight visits across gestation in the Human Placenta and Phthalates study. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS At each visit, women provided urine samples and underwent placental ultrasounds. Urine was analyzed for 18 metabolites of phthalates and replacements. We took the geometric mean of repeated measurements to reflect pregnancy-averaged phthalate or replacement exposure for each participant (n = 303). Placental microvasculature, stiffness, and microcalcification presence were quantified from ultrasounds at each visit. Higher scores reflected worse placental function for all measures. Generalized linear mixed models were created to estimate the association between pregnancy-averaged exposure biomarker concentrations and repeated outcome measurements for microvasculature and stiffness. Gestational age at the time of calcification detection was modeled using Cox proportional hazards models. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Monocarboxyisononyl phthalate and summed di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites were associated with impaired microvasculature development, such that an interquartile range increase in concentration was associated with 0.11 standard deviation increase in the microvasculature ratio, indicating poorer vascularization (95% CI: 0.00, 0.22); 0.11 [95% CI: -0.01, 0.22], respectively. Monoethyl phthalate was associated with increased placental stiffness (0.09 [95% CI: -0.01, 0.19]) while summed di-iso-butyl phthalate metabolites and monobenzyl phthalate were associated with increased hazard of calcification detection (hazard ratios: 1.18 [95% CI: 0.98, 1.42]; 1.13 [95% CI: 0.96, 1.34]). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Outcomes used in this study are novel and further investigation is needed to provide clinical context and relevance. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS We found evidence of associations between select phthalate biomarkers and various aspects of in vivo placental health, although we did not observe consistency across placental outcomes. These findings could illustrate heterogeneous effects of phthalate exposure on placental function. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (ZIA ES103344), and NIEHS T32ES007018. The authors declare that they have no competing interests to disclose. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the CDC, the Public Health Service, or the US Department of Health and Human Services. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M Rosen
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Danielle R Stevens
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Erin E McNell
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mollie E Wood
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Stephanie M Engel
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alexander P Keil
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Julianne Cook Botelho
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elena Sinkovskaya
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Ann Przybylska
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - George Saade
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Alfred Abuhamad
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Kelly K Ferguson
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
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Hopf NB, De Luca HP, Koch HM, Pälmke C, Berthet A, Reale E. Human skin absorption of three plasticizers: Diisononyl-1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylate (DINCH), di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHTP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA). Toxicol Lett 2024; 400:104-112. [PMID: 39134128 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2024.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Alternative plasticizers such as diisononyl-1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylate (DINCH), di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHTP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) are progressively replacing phthalates in many consumer and professional products because of adverse effects on reproduction associated with some phthalates. Human exposures to these phthalate substitutes can occur through ingestion, skin absorption and inhalation. Skin uptake can lead to greater concentration at the target organs compared to ingestion because the skin exposure route bypasses the first-pass effect. Skin absorption studies are almost absent for these alternative plasticizers. We therefore wanted first, to characterize skin absorption of a mixture containing DINCH, DEHA and DEHTP in vitro using a flow-through diffusion cell system with ex vivo human skin, quantifying their respective monoester metabolites (mono-isononyl-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (MINCH), mono-2-ethylhexyl adipate (MEHA), mono-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (MEHTP), respectively); second, to validate these results by exposing five human volunteers to this mixture on their forearm and quantifying the corresponding urinary metabolites (including the monoesters and their oxidation products). Our study showed that two of these alternative plasticizers, DEHTP and DINCH, did not permeate skin showing as quantifiable metabolite levels in vitro and only traces of DEHA were quantified as its monoester metabolite, MEHA. Permeation coefficient (Kp) 0.06 and 55.8*10-7 cm/h for neat and emulsified DEHA, respectively, while the permeation rate (J) remained low for both (0.005 and 0.001 µg/cm2/h, respectively). Participants exposed to a mixture of these three plasticizers did not have noteworthy urinary concentrations of their respective metabolites after 24 hours post-application. However, the alternative plasticizer mixture was completely absorbed after six hours post-application on the forearms of the human volunteers, and the urinary elimination curves showed a slight increase after 24 hours post-application. Further studies on skin absorption of these substances should follow the urinary elimination kinetics of these metabolites more than 24 hours post-application. We also recommend quantifying the parent compounds in the in vitro diffusion experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy B Hopf
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 2, Epalinges, Lausanne 1066, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Hélène P De Luca
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 2, Epalinges, Lausanne 1066, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Holger M Koch
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance - Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bochum, Germany.
| | - Claudia Pälmke
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance - Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bochum, Germany.
| | - Aurélie Berthet
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 2, Epalinges, Lausanne 1066, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Elena Reale
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 2, Epalinges, Lausanne 1066, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), Basel, Switzerland.
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3
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Tagne-Fotso R, Riou M, Saoudi A, Zeghnoun A, Frederiksen H, Berman T, Montazeri P, Andersson AM, Rodriguez-Martin L, Akesson A, Berglund M, Biot P, Castaño A, Charles MA, Cocco E, Den Hond E, Dewolf MC, Esteban-Lopez M, Gilles L, Govarts E, Guignard C, Gutleb AC, Hartmann C, Kold Jensen T, Koppen G, Kosjek T, Lambrechts N, McEachan R, Sakhi AK, Snoj Tratnik J, Uhl M, Urquiza J, Vafeiadi M, Van Nieuwenhuyse A, Vrijheid M, Weber T, Zaros C, Tarroja-Aulina E, Knudsen LE, Covaci A, Barouki R, Kolossa-Gehring M, Schoeters G, Denys S, Fillol C, Rambaud L. Exposure to bisphenol A in European women from 2007 to 2014 using human biomonitoring data - The European Joint Programme HBM4EU. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 190:108912. [PMID: 39116556 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108912] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bisphenol A (BPA; or 4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol) is an endocrine disrupting chemical. It was widely used in a variety of plastic-based manufactured products for several years. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently reduced the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for BPA by 20,000 times due to concerns about immune-toxicity. OBJECTIVE We used human biomonitoring (HBM) data to investigate the general level of BPA exposure from 2007 to 2014 of European women aged 18-73 years (n = 4,226) and its determinants. METHODS Fifteen studies from 12 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) were included in the BPA Study protocol developed within the European Joint Programme HBM4EU. Seventy variables related to the BPA exposure were collected through a rigorous post-harmonization process. Linear mixed regression models were used to investigate the determinants of total urine BPA in the combined population. RESULTS Total BPA was quantified in 85-100 % of women in 14 out of 15 contributing studies. Only the Austrian PBAT study (Western Europe), which had a limit of quantification 2.5 to 25-fold higher than the other studies (LOQ=2.5 µg/L), found total BPA in less than 5 % of the urine samples analyzed. The geometric mean (GM) of total urine BPA ranged from 0.77 to 2.47 µg/L among the contributing studies. The lowest GM of total BPA was observed in France (Western Europe) from the ELFE subset (GM=0.77 µg/L (0.98 µg/g creatinine), n = 1741), and the highest levels were found in Belgium (Western Europe) and Greece (Southern Europe), from DEMOCOPHES (GM=2.47 µg/L (2.26 µg/g creatinine), n = 129) and HELIX-RHEA (GM=2.47 µg/L (2.44 µg/g creatinine), n = 194) subsets, respectively. One hundred percent of women in 14 out of 15 data collections in this study exceeded the health-based human biomonitoring guidance value for the general population (HBM-GVGenPop) of 0.0115 µg total BPA/L urine derived from the updated EFSA's BPA TDI. Variables related to the measurement of total urine BPA and those related to the main socio-demographic characteristics (age, height, weight, education, smoking status) were collected in almost all studies, while several variables related to BPA exposure factors were not gathered in most of the original studies (consumption of beverages contained in plastic bottles, consumption of canned food or beverages, consumption of food in contact with plastic packaging, use of plastic film or plastic containers for food, having a plastic floor covering in the house, use of thermal paper…). No clear determinants of total urine BPA concentrations among European women were found. A broader range of data planned for collection in the original questionnaires of the contributing studies would have resulted in a more thorough investigation of the determinants of BPA exposure in European women. CONCLUSION This study highlights the urgent need for action to further reduce exposure to BPA to protect the population, as is already the case in the European Union. The study also underscores the importance of pre-harmonizing HBM design and data for producing comparable data and interpretable results at a European-wide level, and to increase HBM uptake by regulatory agencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romuald Tagne-Fotso
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Santé publique France, The French Public Health Agency (SpFrance, ANSP), 12 rue du Val d'Osne, Saint-Maurice Cedex 94415, France.
| | - Margaux Riou
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Santé publique France, The French Public Health Agency (SpFrance, ANSP), 12 rue du Val d'Osne, Saint-Maurice Cedex 94415, France
| | - Abdessattar Saoudi
- Department of Data Support, Data Processing and Analysis, Santé publique France, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - Abdelkrim Zeghnoun
- Department of Data Support, Data Processing and Analysis, Santé publique France, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tamar Berman
- Israel Ministry of Health (MOH-IL), Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Parisa Montazeri
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Anna-Maria Andersson
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Agneta Akesson
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet (KI), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marika Berglund
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet (KI), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pierre Biot
- Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Argelia Castaño
- National Center for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marie-Aline Charles
- French Institute for Demographic Studies (INED), French Institute for Medical Research and Health (Inserm), French Blood Agency, ELFE Joint Unit, Aubervilliers, France; Inserm UMR 1153, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), Team Early Life Research on Later Health, University of Paris, Villejuif, France
| | - Emmanuelle Cocco
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Elly Den Hond
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium; Provincial Institute of Hygiene (PIH), Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Marta Esteban-Lopez
- National Center for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Liese Gilles
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Eva Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Cedric Guignard
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Arno C Gutleb
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | | | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Public Health, Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Odense, Denmark
| | - Gudrun Koppen
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Tina Kosjek
- Jozef Stefan Institute (JSI), Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nathalie Lambrechts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Rosemary McEachan
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Janja Snoj Tratnik
- Jozef Stefan Institute (JSI), Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maria Uhl
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jose Urquiza
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Marina Vafeiadi
- Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - An Van Nieuwenhuyse
- Department Health Protection, Laboratoire national de santé (LNS), Dudelange, Luxembourg; Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Till Weber
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Berlin, Germany
| | - Cécile Zaros
- French Institute for Demographic Studies (INED), French Institute for Medical Research and Health (Inserm), French Blood Agency, ELFE Joint Unit, Aubervilliers, France
| | | | | | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Robert Barouki
- Inserm UMR S-1124, University of Paris, T3S, Paris, France; Biochemistry, Metabolomics, and Proteomics Department, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | | | - Greet Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sebastien Denys
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Santé publique France, The French Public Health Agency (SpFrance, ANSP), 12 rue du Val d'Osne, Saint-Maurice Cedex 94415, France
| | - Clemence Fillol
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Santé publique France, The French Public Health Agency (SpFrance, ANSP), 12 rue du Val d'Osne, Saint-Maurice Cedex 94415, France
| | - Loïc Rambaud
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Santé publique France, The French Public Health Agency (SpFrance, ANSP), 12 rue du Val d'Osne, Saint-Maurice Cedex 94415, France
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Li J, Liu B, Yu Y, Dong W. A systematic review of global distribution, sources and exposure risk of phthalate esters (PAEs) in indoor dust. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 471:134423. [PMID: 38678719 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134423] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Phthalate esters (PAEs) are a class of plasticizers that are readily released from plastic products, posing a potential exposure risk to human body. At present, much attention is paid on PAE concentrations in indoor dust with the understanding of PAEs toxicity. This study collected 8187 data on 10 PAEs concentrations in indoor dusts from 26 countries and comprehensively reviewed the worldwide distribution, influencing factors, and health risks of PAEs. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the predominant PAE with a median concentration of 316 μg·g-1 in indoor dust. Polyvinyl chloride wallpaper and flooring and personal care products are the main sources of PAEs indoor dust. The dust concentrations of DEHP show a downward trend over the past two decades, while high dust concentrations of DiNP are found from 2011 to 2016. The median dust contents of 8 PAEs in public places are higher than those in households. Moreover, the concentrations of 9 PAEs in indoor dusts from high-income countries are higher than those from upper-middle-income countries. DEHP in 69.8% and 77.8% of the dust samples may pose a potential carcinogenic risk for adults and children, respectively. Besides, DEHP in 16.9% of the dust samples may pose a non-carcinogenic risk to children. Nevertheless, a negligible risk was found for other PAEs in indoor dust worldwide. This review contributes to an in-depth understanding of the global distribution, sources and health risks of PAEs in indoor dust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Li
- College of Chemistry, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130032, China
| | - Baolin Liu
- College of Chemistry, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130032, China.
| | - Yong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China
| | - Weihua Dong
- College of Geographical Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130032, China
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5
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Gerofke A, Lange R, Vogel N, Schmidt P, Weber T, David M, Frederiksen H, Baken K, Govarts E, Gilles L, Martin LR, Martinsone Ž, Santonen T, Schoeters G, Scheringer M, Domínguez-Romero E, López ME, Calvo AC, Koch HM, Apel P, Kolossa-Gehring M. Phthalates and substitute plasticizers: Main achievements from the European human biomonitoring initiative HBM4EU. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2024; 259:114378. [PMID: 38631089 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Phthalates and the substitute plasticizer DINCH belong to the first group of priority substances investigated by the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) to answer policy-relevant questions and safeguard an efficient science-to-policy transfer of results. Human internal exposure levels were assessed using two data sets from all European regions and Israel. The first collated existing human biomonitoring (HBM) data (2005-2019). The second consisted of new data generated in the harmonized "HBM4EU Aligned Studies" (2014-2021) on children and teenagers for the ten most relevant phthalates and DINCH, accompanied by a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program for 17 urinary exposure biomarkers. Exposures differed between countries, European regions, age groups and educational levels. Toxicologically derived Human biomonitoring guidance values (HBM-GVs) were exceeded in up to 5% of the participants of the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. A mixture risk assessment (MRA) including five reprotoxic phthalates (DEHP, DnBP, DiBP, BBzP, DiNP) revealed that for about 17% of the children and teenagers, health risks cannot be excluded. Concern about male reproductive health emphasized the need to include other anti-androgenic substances for MRA. Contaminated food and the use of personal care products were identified as relevant exposure determinants paving the way for new regulatory measures. Time trend analyses verified the efficacy of regulations: especially for the highly regulated phthalates exposure dropped significantly, while levels of the substitutes DINCH and DEHTP increased. The HBM4EU e-waste study, however, suggests that workers involved in e-waste management may be exposed to higher levels of restricted phthalates. Exposure-effect association studies indicated the relevance of a range of endpoints. A set of HBM indicators was derived to facilitate and accelerate science-to-policy transfer. Result indicators allow different groups and regions to be easily compared. Impact indicators allow health risks to be directly interpreted. The presented results enable successful science-to-policy transfer and support timely and targeted policy measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Gerofke
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Rosa Lange
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Vogel
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Phillipp Schmidt
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Weber
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Madlen David
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark; International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kirsten Baken
- Brabant Advies, Brabantlaan 3, 5216 TV 's, Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
| | - Eva Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Liese Gilles
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | | | - Žanna Martinsone
- Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Rīga Stradiņš University, Dzirciema 16, LV-1007, Riga, Latvia
| | - Tiina Santonen
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), P.O. Box 40, FI-00032, Tyoterveyslaitos, Finland
| | - Greet Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Toxicological Center, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Martin Scheringer
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Elena Domínguez-Romero
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Marta Esteban López
- Environmental Toxicology Unit, National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Argelia Castaño Calvo
- Environmental Toxicology Unit, National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Holger M Koch
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance - Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Petra Apel
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
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6
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Kolena B, Hlisníková H, Nagyová M, Orendáčová K, Vondráková M, Petrovičová I, Mlynček M, Weiss P, Pfaus JG. Endocrine effect of phthalate metabolites and a butterfly effect of prenatal exposure to androgens on qualitative aspects of female sexual response- an initial survey. Int J Impot Res 2024:10.1038/s41443-024-00919-1. [PMID: 38806628 DOI: 10.1038/s41443-024-00919-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that endocrine disruptive chemicals have deleterious effects on sexual and reproductive function. To examine subjective sexual functions in human females and their relationship to postnatal phthalate exposure and perinatal androgenization, a Sexuality Score (SS) was established from a first-stage survey questionnaire of subjective sexual function filled out by female university students (n = 68; average age 25.23 ± 5.17 years; rural 25.51 ± 6.74 vs. urban 25.85 ± 1.43 years). Seventeen phthalate metabolites in urine samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Females were also assessed for the 2D:4D digit ratio as an index of perinatal androgenization. The mean age of menarche was 12.82 ± 1.35 years (rural 12.59 ± 1.39 vs. urban 13.18 ± 1.27; p = 0.01). The mean age at first sexual intercourse was 14.88 ± 6.89 years (rural 14.62 ± 7.20 vs. urban 15.24 ± 6.55), and as the age of first sexual intercourse increases, the SS score tends to increase as well, albeit moderately (r = 0.25, p = 0.037). Mono-iso-butyl phthalate, mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate, mono(hydroxy-n-butyl) phthalate, mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (p ≤ 0.05) and mono(2-carboxymethylhexyl) phthalate (p ≤ 0.01) were negatively associated with SS. A compounding butterfly effect of prenatal exposure to androgens was observed with disruptive effects of mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate on sexual function. Exposure to phthalates in adult females may lead to disruption of subjective sexual function, especially concerning sexual desire and sexual satisfaction, and perinatal androgenization could augment these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branislav Kolena
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University, Nitra, Slovakia.
| | - Henrieta Hlisníková
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Miroslava Nagyová
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Orendáčová
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Mária Vondráková
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Ida Petrovičová
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Miloš Mlynček
- Department of Nursing, Constantine the Philosopher University, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Petr Weiss
- Department of Psychology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Deaprtment of Psychology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Center for Sexual Health and Intervention, Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
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7
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Mínguez-Alarcón L, Gaskins AJ, Meeker JD, Braun JM, Chavarro JE. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and male reproductive health. Fertil Steril 2023; 120:1138-1149. [PMID: 37827483 PMCID: PMC10841502 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Modifiable factors, such as environmental exposures, can impact human fertility. The objective of this review is to summarize the potential effects of exposure to important endocrine-disrupting chemicals on male reproductive health. Most experimental and animal data demonstrate strong evidence for the negative effects of exposure to phenols, phthalates, pesticides, and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances on male reproductive health. Although evidence of negative associations in humans was overall strong for phthalates and pesticides, limited and inconclusive relationships were found for the other examined chemical biomarkers. Reasons for the discrepancies in results include but are not limited to, differences in study populations, exposure concentrations, number of samples collected, sample sizes, study design, and residual confounding. Additional studies are needed, particularly for newer phenols and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, given the scarce literature on the topic and increasing exposures over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Audrey J Gaskins
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - John D Meeker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Jorge E Chavarro
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
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8
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Eckert E, Kuhlmann L, Göen T, Münch F. Assessment of the plasticizer exposure of hospital workers regularly handling medical devices: A pilot study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 237:117028. [PMID: 37657602 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Plastic medical devices, e.g. infusion sets, blood bags or tubing material, that are used manifold in the medical treatment of hospital patients, usually contain considerable amounts of plasticizers. Whereas several studies showed highly elevated inner plasticizer levels of patients treated with plasticized medical devices, little is known about the exposure situation of hospital staff. The present pilot study aimed to evaluate the urinary plasticizer metabolite levels of selected hospital workers of the blood bank (medical technical assistants, MTA) and of perfusionists that are regularly handling plasticized medical devices in order to estimate the work-related amount of the inner individual plasticizer exposure. The study subjects were asked to collect pre- and post-shift spot urine samples over the course of a working week, that were subsequently analyzed for selected urinary metabolites of the plasticizers DEHP, DINCH, DEHTP and TEHTM. Although the observed differences were rather low, a differentiated approach revealed a perceptible impact of the respective workplace environment on the individual urinary plasticizer metabolite levels. Thus, the group of blood bank MTA showed significantly elevated increment levels of urinary DEHP and DINCH metabolites, while the group of perfusionists, showed a considerable higher detection frequency of the main urinary TEHTM metabolite. All in all, however, it can be cautiously concluded by the results of the presented pilot study that a regular handling of plasticized medical devices by hospital employees (via inhalation or dermal contact) contributes demonstrably but yet only marginally to the individual internal plasticizer exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Eckert
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Henkestr. 9-11, 91054, Erlangen, Germany; Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Department of Risk Assessment, Eggenreuther Weg 43, 91058, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Laura Kuhlmann
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Henkestr. 9-11, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Göen
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Henkestr. 9-11, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Frank Münch
- Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Loschgestr. 15, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
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9
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Jiang VS, Calafat AM, Williams PL, Chavarro JE, Ford JB, Souter I, Hauser R, Mínguez-Alarcón L. Temporal trends in urinary concentrations of phenols, phthalate metabolites and phthalate replacements between 2000 and 2017 in Boston, MA. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165353. [PMID: 37437643 PMCID: PMC10543552 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can adversely affect human health and are ubiquitously found in everyday products. We examined temporal trends in urinary concentrations of EDCs and their replacements. Urinary concentrations of 11 environmental phenols, 15 phthalate metabolites, phthalate replacements such as two di(isononyl)cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH) metabolites, and triclocarban were quantified using isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry. This ecological study included 996 male and 819 female patients who were predominantly White/Caucasian (83 %) with an average age of 35 years and a BMI of 25.5 kg/m2 seeking fertility treatment in Boston, MA, USA. Patients provided a total of 6483 urine samples (median = 2, range = 1-30 samples per patient) between 2000 and 2017. Over the study period, we observed significant decreases (% per year) in urinary concentrations of traditional phenols, parabens, and phthalates such as bisphenol A (β: -6.3, 95 % CI: -7.2, -5.4), benzophenone-3 (β: -6.5, 95 % CI: -1.1, -18.9), parabens ((β range:-5.4 to -14.2), triclosan (β: -18.8, 95 % CI: -24, -13.6), dichlorophenols (2.4-dichlorophenol β: -6.6, 95 % CI: -8.8, -4.3); 2,5-dichlorophenol β: -13.6, 95 % CI: -17, -10.3), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites (β range: -11.9 to -22.0), and other phthalate metabolites including mono-ethyl, mono-n-butyl, and mono-methyl phthalate (β range: -0.3 to -11.5). In contrast, we found significant increases in urinary concentrations of environmental phenol replacements including bisphenol S (β: 3.9, 95 % CI: 2.7, 7.6) and bisphenol F (β: 6, 95 % CI: 1.8, 10.3), DINCH metabolites (cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid monohydroxy isononyl ester [MHiNCH] β: 20, 95 % CI: 17.8, 22.2; monocarboxyisooctyl phthalate [MCOCH] β: 16.2, 95 % CI: 14, 18.4), and newer phthalate replacements such as mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate, monobenzyl phthalate, mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate and di-isobutyl phthalate metabolites (β range = 5.3 to 45.1), over time. Urinary MHBP concentrations remained stable over the study period. While the majority of biomarkers measured declined over time, concentrations of several increased, particularly replacement chemicals that are studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S Jiang
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Vincent Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School; 55 Fruit Street, Suite 10A, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Paige L Williams
- Departments of Epidemiology and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Biostatistics and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jorge E Chavarro
- Departments of Epidemiology and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Nutrition and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School & Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer B Ford
- Departments of Environmental Health and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Irene Souter
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Vincent Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School; 55 Fruit Street, Suite 10A, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Russ Hauser
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Vincent Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School; 55 Fruit Street, Suite 10A, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Epidemiology and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Environmental Health and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón
- Departments of Environmental Health and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School & Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA, USA.
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10
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Rodriguez Martin L, Gilles L, Helte E, Åkesson A, Tägt J, Covaci A, Sakhi AK, Van Nieuwenhuyse A, Katsonouri A, Andersson AM, Gutleb AC, Janasik B, Appenzeller B, Gabriel C, Thomsen C, Mazej D, Sarigiannis D, Anastasi E, Barbone F, Tolonen H, Frederiksen H, Klanova J, Koponen J, Tratnik JS, Pack K, Gudrun K, Ólafsdóttir K, Knudsen LE, Rambaud L, Strumylaite L, Murinova LP, Fabelova L, Riou M, Berglund M, Szabados M, Imboden M, Laeremans M, Eštóková M, Janev Holcer N, Probst-Hensch N, Vodrazkova N, Vogel N, Piler P, Schmidt P, Lange R, Namorado S, Kozepesy S, Szigeti T, Halldorsson TI, Weber T, Jensen TK, Rosolen V, Puklova V, Wasowicz W, Sepai O, Stewart L, Kolossa-Gehring M, Esteban-López M, Castaño A, Bessems J, Schoeters G, Govarts E. Time Patterns in Internal Human Exposure Data to Bisphenols, Phthalates, DINCH, Organophosphate Flame Retardants, Cadmium and Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons in Europe. TOXICS 2023; 11:819. [PMID: 37888670 PMCID: PMC10610666 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11100819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Human biomonitoring (HBM) data in Europe are often fragmented and collected in different EU countries and sampling periods. Exposure levels for children and adult women in Europe were evaluated over time. For the period 2000-2010, literature and aggregated data were collected in a harmonized way across studies. Between 2011-2012, biobanked samples from the DEMOCOPHES project were used. For 2014-2021, HBM data were generated within the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. Time patterns on internal exposure were evaluated visually and statistically using the 50th and 90th percentiles (P50/P90) for phthalates/DINCH and organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in children (5-12 years), and cadmium, bisphenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in women (24-52 years). Restricted phthalate metabolites show decreasing patterns for children. Phthalate substitute, DINCH, shows a non-significant increasing pattern. For OPFRs, no trends were statistically significant. For women, BPA shows a clear decreasing pattern, while substitutes BPF and BPS show an increasing pattern coinciding with the BPA restrictions introduced. No clear patterns are observed for PAHs or cadmium. Although the causal relations were not studied as such, exposure levels to chemicals restricted at EU level visually decreased, while the levels for some of their substitutes increased. The results support policy efficacy monitoring and the policy-supportive role played by HBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rodriguez Martin
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium; (L.G.); (K.G.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Liese Gilles
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium; (L.G.); (K.G.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Emilie Helte
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (E.H.); (A.Å.); (J.T.); (M.B.)
| | - Agneta Åkesson
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (E.H.); (A.Å.); (J.T.); (M.B.)
| | - Jonas Tägt
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (E.H.); (A.Å.); (J.T.); (M.B.)
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - Amrit K. Sakhi
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0456 Oslo, Norway; (A.K.S.); (C.T.)
| | - An Van Nieuwenhuyse
- Laboratoire National de Santé (LNS), Rue Louis Rech 1, 3555 Dudelange, Luxembourg;
| | | | - Anna-Maria Andersson
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (A.-M.A.); (H.F.)
- International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Arno C. Gutleb
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg;
| | - Beata Janasik
- Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 91-348 Lodz, Poland; (B.J.); (W.W.)
| | | | - Catherine Gabriel
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (C.G.); (D.S.)
- HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Balkan Center, Bldg. B, 10th km Thessaloniki-Thermi Road, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Cathrine Thomsen
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0456 Oslo, Norway; (A.K.S.); (C.T.)
| | - Darja Mazej
- Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (D.M.); (J.S.T.)
| | - Denis Sarigiannis
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (C.G.); (D.S.)
- HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Balkan Center, Bldg. B, 10th km Thessaloniki-Thermi Road, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Environmental Health Engineering, Institute of Advanced Study, Palazzo del Broletto–Piazza Della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Elena Anastasi
- State General Laboratory, Ministry of Health, 2081 Nicosia, Cyprus; (A.K.); (E.A.)
| | - Fabio Barbone
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Hanna Tolonen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), 00271 Helsinki, Finland; (H.T.); (J.K.)
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (A.-M.A.); (H.F.)
| | - Jana Klanova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (P.P.)
| | - Jani Koponen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), 00271 Helsinki, Finland; (H.T.); (J.K.)
| | | | - Kim Pack
- Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, German Environment Agency (UBA), 14195 Berlin, Germany; (K.P.); (N.V.); (P.S.); (R.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Koppen Gudrun
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium; (L.G.); (K.G.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Kristin Ólafsdóttir
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Hofsvallagata 53, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland; (K.Ó.); (T.I.H.)
| | - Lisbeth E. Knudsen
- Section of Environmental Health, University of Copenhagen, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Loïc Rambaud
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Santé Publique France, 94410 Saint Maurice, France (M.R.)
| | - Loreta Strumylaite
- Neuroscience Institute, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania;
| | - Lubica Palkovicova Murinova
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, 833 03 Bratislava, Slovakia; (L.P.M.)
| | - Lucia Fabelova
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, 833 03 Bratislava, Slovakia; (L.P.M.)
| | - Margaux Riou
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Santé Publique France, 94410 Saint Maurice, France (M.R.)
| | - Marika Berglund
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (E.H.); (A.Å.); (J.T.); (M.B.)
| | - Maté Szabados
- National Public Health Center, Albert Florian 2-6, 1097 Budapest, Hungary; (M.S.); (S.K.); (T.S.)
| | - Medea Imboden
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; (M.I.); (N.P.-H.)
| | - Michelle Laeremans
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium; (L.G.); (K.G.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Milada Eštóková
- Department of Environment and Health, Public Health Authority, 83105 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Natasa Janev Holcer
- Division for Environmental Health, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Rockefellerova 7, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
- Department of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Bráce Branchetta 20/1, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Nicole Probst-Hensch
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; (M.I.); (N.P.-H.)
| | - Nicole Vodrazkova
- Centre for Health and Environment, National Institute of Public Health, 100 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (N.V.); (V.P.)
| | - Nina Vogel
- Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, German Environment Agency (UBA), 14195 Berlin, Germany; (K.P.); (N.V.); (P.S.); (R.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Pavel Piler
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (P.P.)
| | - Phillipp Schmidt
- Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, German Environment Agency (UBA), 14195 Berlin, Germany; (K.P.); (N.V.); (P.S.); (R.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Rosa Lange
- Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, German Environment Agency (UBA), 14195 Berlin, Germany; (K.P.); (N.V.); (P.S.); (R.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Sónia Namorado
- Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Szilvia Kozepesy
- National Public Health Center, Albert Florian 2-6, 1097 Budapest, Hungary; (M.S.); (S.K.); (T.S.)
| | - Tamás Szigeti
- National Public Health Center, Albert Florian 2-6, 1097 Budapest, Hungary; (M.S.); (S.K.); (T.S.)
| | - Thorhallur I. Halldorsson
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Hofsvallagata 53, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland; (K.Ó.); (T.I.H.)
| | - Till Weber
- Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, German Environment Agency (UBA), 14195 Berlin, Germany; (K.P.); (N.V.); (P.S.); (R.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark;
| | - Valentina Rosolen
- Central Directorate for Health, Social Policies and Disability, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Via Cassa di Risparmio 10, 34121 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Vladimira Puklova
- Centre for Health and Environment, National Institute of Public Health, 100 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (N.V.); (V.P.)
| | - Wojciech Wasowicz
- Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 91-348 Lodz, Poland; (B.J.); (W.W.)
| | - Ovnair Sepai
- UKHSA UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Science Park, Chilton OX11 0RQ, UK; (O.S.); (L.S.)
| | - Lorraine Stewart
- UKHSA UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Science Park, Chilton OX11 0RQ, UK; (O.S.); (L.S.)
| | - Marike Kolossa-Gehring
- Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, German Environment Agency (UBA), 14195 Berlin, Germany; (K.P.); (N.V.); (P.S.); (R.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Marta Esteban-López
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Majadahonda, Spain; (M.E.-L.); (A.C.)
| | - Argelia Castaño
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Majadahonda, Spain; (M.E.-L.); (A.C.)
| | - Jos Bessems
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium; (L.G.); (K.G.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Greet Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium; (L.G.); (K.G.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.S.); (E.G.)
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - Eva Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium; (L.G.); (K.G.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.S.); (E.G.)
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11
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Ketema RM, Kasper-Sonnenberg M, Ait Bamai Y, Miyashita C, Koch HM, Pälmke C, Kishi R, Ikeda A. Exposure Trends to the Non-phthalate Plasticizers DEHTP, DINCH, and DEHA in Children from 2012 to 2017: The Hokkaido Study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:11926-11936. [PMID: 37506071 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates owing to their endocrine-disrupting effects are regulated in certain products, leading to their replacement with substitutions such as di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (DEHTP), 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid di(isononyl) ester (DINCH), and di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA). However, information on human exposure to these substitutes, especially in susceptible subpopulations such as children, is limited. Thus, we examined the levels and exposure trends of DEHTP, DINCH, and DEHA metabolites in 7 year-old Japanese school children. In total, 180 urine samples collected from 2012 to 2017 were used to quantify 10 DEHTP, DINCH, and DEHA metabolites via isotope dilution liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. DEHTP and DINCH metabolites were detected in 95.6 and 92.2% of the children, respectively, and DEHA was not detected. This study, annually conducted between 2012 and 2017, revealed a significant (p < 0.05) 5-fold increase in DEHTP metabolites and a 2-fold increase in DINCH metabolites. However, the maximum estimated internal exposures were still below the health-based guidance and toxicological reference values. Exposure levels to DEHTP and DINCH have increased considerably in Japanese school children. DEHA is less relevant. Future studies are warranted to closely monitor the increasing trend in different aged and larger populations and identify the potential health effects and sources contributing to increasing exposure and intervene if necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Mesfin Ketema
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12, West 7, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12, West 5, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Monika Kasper-Sonnenberg
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, Bochum 44789, Germany
| | - Yu Ait Bamai
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12, West 7, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
| | - Chihiro Miyashita
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12, West 7, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Holger M Koch
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, Bochum 44789, Germany
| | - Claudia Pälmke
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, Bochum 44789, Germany
| | - Reiko Kishi
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12, West 7, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Atsuko Ikeda
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12, West 7, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12, West 5, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
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Kolossa-Gehring M, Schoeters G, Castaño A, Barouki R, Haines D, Polcher A, Weise P. Special issue editorial: Key results of the european human biomonitoring initiative - HBM4EU. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 253:114197. [PMID: 37291032 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marike Kolossa-Gehring
- Head of Section II 1.2 Toxicology, Health Related Environmental Monitoring, German Environment Agency, Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Greet Schoeters
- Environment and Health, Dept of Biomedical Sciences & Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Argelia Castaño
- National Center for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert Barouki
- Unité UMR-S 1124 T3S Inserm-Université Paris Cité, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75270, Paris, France; France Service de Biochimie Métabolomique et Protéomique, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75015, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Philipp Weise
- Section II 1.2 Toxicology, Health Related Environmental Monitoring, German Environment Agency, Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
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13
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Vorkamp K, Esteban López M, Gilles L, Göen T, Govarts E, Hajeb P, Katsonouri A, Knudsen LE, Kolossa-Gehring M, Lindh C, Nübler S, Pedraza-Díaz S, Santonen T, Castaño A. Coordination of chemical analyses under the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU): Concepts, procedures and lessons learnt. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 251:114183. [PMID: 37148759 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) ran from 2017 to 2022 with the aim of advancing and harmonizing human biomonitoring in Europe. More than 40,000 analyses were performed on human samples in different human biomonitoring studies in HBM4EU, addressing the chemical exposure of the general population, temporal developments, occupational exposure and a public health intervention on mercury in populations with high fish consumption. The analyses covered 15 priority groups of organic chemicals and metals and were carried out by a network of laboratories meeting the requirements of a comprehensive quality assurance and control system. The coordination of the chemical analyses included establishing contacts between sample owners and qualified laboratories and monitoring the progress of the chemical analyses during the analytical phase, also addressing status and consequences of Covid-19 measures. Other challenges were related to the novelty and complexity of HBM4EU, including administrative and financial matters and implementation of standardized procedures. Many individual contacts were necessary in the initial phase of HBM4EU. However, there is a potential to develop more streamlined and standardized communication and coordination in the analytical phase of a consolidated European HBM programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Vorkamp
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Marta Esteban López
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, National Centre for Environmental Health, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Liese Gilles
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Mol, Belgium
| | - Thomas Göen
- Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Eva Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Mol, Belgium
| | - Parvaneh Hajeb
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Lisbeth E Knudsen
- University of Copenhagen, Institute of Public Health, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Christian Lindh
- Lund University, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stefanie Nübler
- Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Susana Pedraza-Díaz
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, National Centre for Environmental Health, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Tiina Santonen
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Argelia Castaño
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, National Centre for Environmental Health, Majadahonda, Spain
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14
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Zhang H, Chen S, Chen X, Zhang Y, Han Y, Li J, Chen X. Exposure to phthalate increases the risk of eczema in children: Findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 321:138139. [PMID: 36791818 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138139] [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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicated phthalate exposure might raise the risk of eczema in children. However, these findings were inconsistent. The relation between phthalate exposure and childhood eczema remained debated. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to assess their association. PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched for eligible studies. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for risk estimate. Thirty studies involving 12,615 participants were included in this meta-analysis. For prenatal phthalate exposure assessed with maternal samples, the pooled results showed gestational exposure to monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.00-1.36), but not the other phthalates, was correlated with increased risk of eczema in children. For childhood exposure assessed using children's urine sample, our pooled results indicated that postnatal exposure to MBzP (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02-1.19), mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate (MEHHP) (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.08-1.61), mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP) (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.06-1.44), and molar summation of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.06-1.42) were associated with higher risk of eczema. While for studies using household dust to estimate environmental phthalate exposure and eczema risk, the pooled results showed no significant association. Subgroup analyses indicated study country, diagnostic mode, and children's age contributed to the heterogeneity. The results of our meta-analysis demonstrated that phthalate exposure during both prenatal and postnatal periods was associated with elevated risk of eczema in children. However, such association was not strong as the pooled ORs were relatively small. Further studies are warranted to verify these findings and explore the underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhang
- College of Environmental and Resource Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; College of Carbon Neutral Modern Industry, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- College of Environmental and Resource Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; College of Carbon Neutral Modern Industry, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Xinwang Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China.
| | - Yong Zhang
- College of Environmental and Resource Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; College of Carbon Neutral Modern Industry, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Yonghe Han
- College of Environmental and Resource Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; College of Carbon Neutral Modern Industry, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Jiabing Li
- College of Environmental and Resource Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; College of Carbon Neutral Modern Industry, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Xiangqi Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China
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15
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Vogel N, Schmidt P, Lange R, Gerofke A, Sakhi AK, Haug LS, Jensen TK, Frederiksen H, Szigeti T, Csákó Z, Murinova LP, Sidlovska M, Janasik B, Wasowicz W, Tratnik JS, Mazej D, Gabriel C, Karakitsios S, Barbone F, Rosolen V, Rambaud L, Riou M, Murawski A, Leseman D, Koppen G, Covaci A, Lignell S, Lindroos AK, Zvonar M, Andryskova L, Fabelova L, Richterova D, Horvat M, Kosjek T, Sarigiannis D, Maroulis M, Pedraza-Diaz S, Cañas A, Verheyen VJ, Bastiaensen M, Gilles L, Schoeters G, Esteban-López M, Castaño A, Govarts E, Koch HM, Kolossa-Gehring M. Current exposure to phthalates and DINCH in European children and adolescents - Results from the HBM4EU Aligned Studies 2014 to 2021. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 249:114101. [PMID: 36805185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates are mainly used as plasticizers for polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Exposure to several phthalates is associated with different adverse effects most prominently on the development of reproductive functions. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies (2014-2021) have investigated current European exposure to ten phthalates (DEP, BBzP, DiBP, DnBP, DCHP, DnPeP, DEHP, DiNP, DiDP, DnOP) and the substitute DINCH to answer the open policy relevant questions which were defined by HBM4EU partner countries and EU institutions as the starting point of the programme. The exposure dataset includes ∼5,600 children (6-11 years) and adolescents (12-18 years) from up to 12 countries per age group and covering the North, East, South and West European regions. Study data from participating studies were harmonised with respect to sample size and selection of participants, selection of biomarkers, and quality and comparability of analytical results to provide a comparable perspective of European exposure. Phthalate and DINCH exposure were deduced from urinary excretions of metabolites, where concentrations were expressed as their key descriptor geometric mean (GM) and 95th percentile (P95). This study aims at reporting current exposure levels and differences in these between European studies and regions, as well as comparisons to human biomonitoring guidance values (HBM-GVs). GMs for children were highest for ∑DEHP metabolites (33.6 μg/L), MiBP (26.6 μg/L), and MEP (24.4 μg/L) and lowest for∑DiDP metabolites (1.91 μg/L) and ∑DINCH metabolites (3.57 μg/L). In adolescents highest GMs were found for MEP (43.3 μg/L), ∑DEHP metabolites (28.8 μg/L), and MiBP (25.6 μg/L) and lowest for ∑DiDP metabolites (= 2.02 μg/L) and ∑DINCH metabolites (2.51 μg/L). In addition, GMs and P95 stratified by European region, sex, household education level, and degree of urbanization are presented. Differences in average biomarker concentrations between sampling sites (data collections) ranged from factor 2 to 9. Compared to the European average, children in the sampling sites OCC (Denmark), InAirQ (Hungary), and SPECIMEn (The Netherlands) had the lowest concentrations across all metabolites and ESTEBAN (France), NAC II (Italy), and CROME (Greece) the highest. For adolescents, comparably higher metabolite concentrations were found in NEB II (Norway), PCB cohort (Slovakia), and ESTEBAN (France), and lower concentrations in POLAES (Poland), FLEHS IV (Belgium), and GerES V-sub (Germany). Multivariate analyses (Survey Generalized Linear Models) indicate compound-specific differences in average metabolite concentrations between the four European regions. Comparison of individual levels with HBM-GVs revealed highest rates of exceedances for DnBP and DiBP, with up to 3 and 5%, respectively, in children and adolescents. No exceedances were observed for DEP and DINCH. With our results we provide current, detailed, and comparable data on exposure to phthalates in children and - for the first time - in adolescents, and - for the first time - on DINCH in children and adolescents of all four regions of Europe which are particularly suited to inform exposure and risk assessment and answer open policy relevant questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Vogel
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Rosa Lange
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Line S Haug
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- IST - Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Odense, Denmark
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Zsófia Csákó
- National Public Health Center, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | - Beata Janasik
- Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland
| | | | - Janja Snoj Tratnik
- Jozef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Darja Mazej
- Jozef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Catherine Gabriel
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Greece
| | - Spyros Karakitsios
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Greece
| | - Fabio Barbone
- Department of Medicine-DAME, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Valentina Rosolen
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy
| | - Loïc Rambaud
- Santé publique France, Environmental and Occupational Health Division, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - Margaux Riou
- Santé publique France, Environmental and Occupational Health Division, Saint-Maurice, France
| | | | - Daan Leseman
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Gudrun Koppen
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | | | | | - Martin Zvonar
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Andryskova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Fabelova
- Slovak Medical University, Faculty of Public Health, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Denisa Richterova
- Slovak Medical University, Faculty of Public Health, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Milena Horvat
- Jozef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tina Kosjek
- Jozef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Denis Sarigiannis
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Greece; Environmental Health Engineering, Institute of Advanced Study, Pavia, Italy
| | - Marios Maroulis
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Greece
| | - Susana Pedraza-Diaz
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Cañas
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Veerle J Verheyen
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | | | - Liese Gilles
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Greet Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Dept of Biomedical Sciences and Toxicological Centre, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marta Esteban-López
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Argelia Castaño
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Holger M Koch
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bochum, Germany
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16
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Santonen T, Mahiout S, Alvito P, Apel P, Bessems J, Bil W, Borges T, Bose-O'Reilly S, Buekers J, Cañas Portilla AI, Calvo AC, de Alba González M, Domínguez-Morueco N, López ME, Falnoga I, Gerofke A, Caballero MDCG, Horvat M, Huuskonen P, Kadikis N, Kolossa-Gehring M, Lange R, Louro H, Martins C, Meslin M, Niemann L, Díaz SP, Plichta V, Porras SP, Rousselle C, Scholten B, Silva MJ, Šlejkovec Z, Tratnik JS, Joksić AŠ, Tarazona JV, Uhl M, Van Nieuwenhuyse A, Viegas S, Vinggaard AM, Woutersen M, Schoeters G. How to use human biomonitoring in chemical risk assessment: Methodological aspects, recommendations, and lessons learned from HBM4EU. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 249:114139. [PMID: 36870229 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
One of the aims of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative, HBM4EU, was to provide examples of and good practices for the effective use of human biomonitoring (HBM) data in human health risk assessment (RA). The need for such information is pressing, as previous research has indicated that regulatory risk assessors generally lack knowledge and experience of the use of HBM data in RA. By recognising this gap in expertise, as well as the added value of incorporating HBM data into RA, this paper aims to support the integration of HBM into regulatory RA. Based on the work of the HBM4EU, we provide examples of different approaches to including HBM in RA and in estimations of the environmental burden of disease (EBoD), the benefits and pitfalls involved, information on the important methodological aspects to consider, and recommendations on how to overcome obstacles. The examples are derived from RAs or EBoD estimations made under the HBM4EU for the following HBM4EU priority substances: acrylamide, o-toluidine of the aniline family, aprotic solvents, arsenic, bisphenols, cadmium, diisocyanates, flame retardants, hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], lead, mercury, mixture of per-/poly-fluorinated compounds, mixture of pesticides, mixture of phthalates, mycotoxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the UV-filter benzophenone-3. Although the RA and EBoD work presented here is not intended to have direct regulatory implications, the results can be useful for raising awareness of possibly needed policy actions, as newly generated HBM data from HBM4EU on the current exposure of the EU population has been used in many RAs and EBoD estimations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paula Alvito
- National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal; Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Petra Apel
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jos Bessems
- VITO-Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Mol, Belgium
| | - Wieneke Bil
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Teresa Borges
- General-Directorate of Health, Ministry of Health, 1049-005, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Stephan Bose-O'Reilly
- Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT - Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informations und Technology, Hall i.T., Austria
| | - Jurgen Buekers
- VITO-Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Mol, Belgium
| | | | - Argelia Castaño Calvo
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Marta Esteban López
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Antje Gerofke
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Rosa Lange
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Corrensplatz 1, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henriqueta Louro
- National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal; ToxOmics-Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carla Martins
- NOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, NOVA University Lisbon, 1600-560, Lisbon, Portugal; Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC), NOVA University Lisbon, 1600-560, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Matthieu Meslin
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Anses, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94701, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Lars Niemann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susana Pedraza Díaz
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Veronika Plichta
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Department Risk Assessment, Spargelfeldstraße 191, 1220, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Christophe Rousselle
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Anses, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94701, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Bernice Scholten
- Research Group Risk Analysis for Products in Development, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific research (TNO), Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Maria João Silva
- National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal; ToxOmics-Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | | | | | - Jose V Tarazona
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy
| | - Maria Uhl
- Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Susana Viegas
- NOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, NOVA University Lisbon, 1600-560, Lisbon, Portugal; Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC), NOVA University Lisbon, 1600-560, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Marjolijn Woutersen
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Greet Schoeters
- VITO-Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Mol, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Dept of Biomedical Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
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Vogel N, Lange R, Schmidt P, Rodriguez Martin L, Remy S, Springer A, Puklová V, Černá M, Rudnai P, Középesy S, Janasik B, Ligocka D, Fábelová L, Kolena B, Petrovicova I, Jajcaj M, Eštóková M, Esteban-Lopez M, Castaño A, Tratnik JS, Stajnko A, Knudsen LE, Toppari J, Main KM, Juul A, Andersson AM, Jørgensen N, Frederiksen H, Thomsen C, Sakhi AK, Åkesson A, Hartmann C, Dewolf MC, Koppen G, Biot P, Den Hond E, Voorspoels S, Gilles L, Govarts E, Murawski A, Gerofke A, Weber T, Rüther M, Gutleb AC, Guignard C, Berman T, Koch HM, Kolossa-Gehring M. Exposure to Phthalates in European Children, Adolescents and Adults since 2005: A Harmonized Approach Based on Existing HBM Data in the HBM4EU Initiative. TOXICS 2023; 11:241. [PMID: 36977006 PMCID: PMC10057641 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11030241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates are mainly used as plasticizers and are associated inter alia with adverse effects on reproductive functions. While more and more national programs in Europe have started monitoring internal exposure to phthalates and its substitute 1,2-Cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (DINCH), the comparability of results from such existing human biomonitoring (HBM) studies across Europe is challenging. They differ widely in time periods, study samples, degree of geographical coverage, design, analytical methodology, biomarker selection, and analytical quality assurance level. The HBM4EU initiative has gathered existing HBM data of 29 studies from participating countries, covering all European regions and Israel. The data were prepared and aggregated by a harmonized procedure with the aim to describe-as comparably as possible-the EU-wide general population's internal exposure to phthalates from the years 2005 to 2019. Most data were available from Northern (up to 6 studies and up to 13 time points), Western (11; 19), and Eastern Europe (9; 12), e.g., allowing for the investigation of time patterns. While the bandwidth of exposure was generally similar, we still observed regional differences for Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP), and Di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP) with pronounced decreases over time in Northern and Western Europe, and to a lesser degree in Eastern Europe. Differences between age groups were visible for Di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), where children (3 to 5-year olds and 6 to 11-year olds) had lower urinary concentrations than adolescents (12 to 19-year-olds), who in turn had lower urinary concentrations than adults (20 to 39-year-olds). This study is a step towards making internal exposures to phthalates comparable across countries, although standardized data were not available, targeting European data sets harmonized with respect to data formatting and calculation of aggregated data (such as developed within HBM4EU), and highlights further suggestions for improved harmonization in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Vogel
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Rosa Lange
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Phillipp Schmidt
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Sylvie Remy
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Andrea Springer
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vladimíra Puklová
- National Institute of Public Health, Centre for Health and Environment, 10000 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Milena Černá
- National Institute of Public Health, Centre for Health and Environment, 10000 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Péter Rudnai
- National Public Health Center, Environmental Health Unit of the Department of Public Health Laboratory, 1097 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Szilvia Középesy
- National Public Health Center, Environmental Health Unit of the Department of Public Health Laboratory, 1097 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beata Janasik
- Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 91-348 Lodz, Poland
| | - Danuta Ligocka
- Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 91-348 Lodz, Poland
| | - Lucia Fábelová
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, 83303 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Branislav Kolena
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Ida Petrovicova
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Michal Jajcaj
- Public Health Authority, Department of Environment and Health, 83105 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Milada Eštóková
- Public Health Authority, Department of Environment and Health, 83105 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | | | - Janja Snoj Tratnik
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova Cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anja Stajnko
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova Cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lisbeth E. Knudsen
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jorma Toppari
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland
- Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, 20521 Turku, Finland
| | - Katharina M. Main
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Juul
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna-Maria Andersson
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Jørgensen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Cathrine Thomsen
- Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0456 Oslo, Norway
| | - Amrit Kaur Sakhi
- Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0456 Oslo, Norway
| | - Agneta Åkesson
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Gudrun Koppen
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Pierre Biot
- Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, 1060 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elly Den Hond
- Department of Environment and Health, Provincial Institute of Hygiene (PIH), 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Stefan Voorspoels
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Liese Gilles
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Eva Govarts
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Aline Murawski
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Antje Gerofke
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Weber
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Rüther
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Arno C. Gutleb
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Cedric Guignard
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Tamar Berman
- Department of Environmental Health, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem 9446724, Israel
| | - Holger M. Koch
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance—Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Marike Kolossa-Gehring
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Department of Toxicology, Health-Related Environmental Monitoring, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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