Associations between Dietary Intake and Urinary Bisphenol A and Phthalates Levels in Korean Women of Reproductive Age

An eco-friendly sample preparation procedure based on air-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction for the rapid determination of phthalate metabolites in urine samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Urinary phthalate metabolite (mPAEs) analysis is a reliable tool for assessing human exposure to phthalates. With growing interest in urinary biomonitoring of these metabolites, there is a need for fast and sensitive analytical methods. Therefore, a simple, rapid procedure for simultaneous determination of fifteen phthalate metabolites in human urine samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed. The novelty of the present procedure is based on the use of diethyl carbonate as a green biobased extraction solvent and air-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (AALLME) as a sample preparation step. A Plackett-Burman design was used for screening the factors that influence the AALLME extraction efficiency of mPAEs. The effective factors were then optimized by response surface methodology using a central composite rotatable design. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity can be achieved in a concentration range of 1.0-20.0 ng mL-1 with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99. The repeatability and reproducibility precision were in the range of 2-12% and 1-10% respectively. Recoveries ranging from 90% to 110%. This, and the low limits of detection, ranging from 0.01 to 0.05 ng mL-1, make the proposed procedure sensitive and suitable for human biomonitoring of phthalate exposures. For proof-of-principle, the new method was used to measure the urinary concentrations of mPAEs in 20 urine samples from Brazilian women. The high frequency of detections and in part high concentrations of mPAEs indicate to widespread exposure to several phthalates among Brazilian women.

Web-based behavioral intervention to reduce exposure to phthalate metabolites, bisphenol A, triclosan, and parabens in mothers with young children: A randomized controlled trial

In this study, a web-based behavioral intervention was designed, which aimed to reduce exposure to phthalate metabolites, bisphenol A, triclosan, and parabens in mothers with young children. A randomized controlled design with two groups was used to verify the effects of the intervention pre- and post-test. In total, 51 mothers participated in the study, categorizing 26 and 25 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The web-based behavioral intervention focused on changes in diet, personal care products, and health behavior and reinforced behavior through encouragement. This program included an educational video, a game for locating endocrine disruptors at home, a method for locating facilities potentially emitting endocrine disruptors, resources, and a questions and answers mode. Data were collected from May 18 to June 30, 2020. Participants allocated to the intervention group were provided access to the behavioral intervention website via a computer or smartphone. Participants allocated to the control group were sent written information about endocrine disruptors via mail. For both the intervention and control groups, questionnaire results and maternal urine samples were assessed at baseline, during the intervention, and after one month. After the intervention, the urinary concentrations of mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), bisphenol A (BPA), methylparaben (MP), ethylparaben (EP), and propylparaben (PP) were found to be significantly decreased in the intervention group. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significantly decreased urinary geometric mean values of MEHP, MEOHP, BPA, MP, and PP after one month compared with those during the intervention (3.8%, 16.3%, 28.4%, 9.2%, and 24.4%, respectively). Hence, the web-based behavioral intervention was effective at reducing the exposure to endocrine disruptors in mothers with young children.

Exposure to phthalates and bisphenol analogues among childbearing-aged women in Korea: Influencing factors and potential health risks

Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), widely applied in industrial and consumer products, can affect hormones associated with the human reproductive system. Because the incidence of reproductive diseases is increasing, a comprehensive exposure assessment of phthalates and bisphenol analogues (BPs) is required for childbearing-aged women. Phthalate metabolites and BPs were measured in urine samples collected from 509 childbearing-aged women (20-48 years) in Korea to investigate their current exposure status, profiles, influencing factors, and potential health risks. DEHP metabolites and BPA were the dominant compounds found, indicating that they are highly consumed in daily life. Bisphenol S (BPS), as an alternative to BPA, was detected in most urine samples. Total concentrations of phthalate metabolites and BPs ranged from 3.42 to 3570 (GM: 45.6) ng/mL and from <LOQ to 80.3 (0.91) ng/mL, respectively, which were within the ranges observed in women in previous studies. Exposure to diethyl phthalate (DEP) was significantly associated with the use of cosmetics and personal care products such as perfume, body lotion, and sunscreen. Higher ratios of urinary BPS/BPA were observed in younger and more highly educated women and in women living in urbanized regions than others. This result suggests that a shift in consumption from BPA to BPS was preferentially occurring in urbanized regions. The assessment of the cumulative risk posed by phthalates and BPs showed that they pose only a small health risk to Korean women. This study provides baseline data on exposure levels, profiles, and influencing factors for phthalates and BPs in childbearing-aged women.

Dietary contribution to body burden of bisphenol A and bisphenol S among mother-children pairs

Due to the health concerns over bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS) has been used as an alternative in greater quantity. Diet is considered as the major source of exposure to bisphenols; however, its contribution to the total body burden has not been fully understood. In the present study, a 3-day dietary intervention was carried out for a group of mother and child(ren) pairs (37 families, 93 subjects), and contribution of the dietary factors to body burden of both bisphenols was investigated. During the intervention, the participants were asked to refrain from the foods in cans and plastic containers, fast foods, and delivery foods. Urinary levels of BPA and BPS were measured before, during, and after the intervention. In addition, the questionnaire survey was conducted for potential contributors to BPA and BPS exposure. Following the intervention, urinary levels of BPA and BPS of the mothers decreased on average by 53.1% (95% CI: -30.0, -68.6), and 63.9% (95% CI: -37.1, -79.3), respectively. Among the children, urinary BPA concentrations decreased by 47.5% (95% CI: -25.6, -62.9) by the intervention. However, BPS levels in urine did not change in the children. Interestingly, urinary BPS concentrations of the children measured during the non-intervention period were greater than those of the mothers in the same period. Consumption frequencies of several food items, e.g., canned foods, take-out drinks, or fast foods, were significantly correlated with elevated levels of urinary BPA or BPS concentrations. The results of this intervention study emphasize the importance of dietary contribution to BPA exposure among the mothers and children. Our findings also show that non-dietary sources could be a more important contributor for certain people, especially to BPS exposure among children. Further studies are warranted to identify the sources of BPS exposure among children.

Concentration and Variability of Urinary Phthalate Metabolites, Bisphenol A, Triclosan, and Parabens in Korean Mother–Infant Pairs

Concentrations of toxic chemicals in mothers highly correlate with those in their children; moreover, the levels are higher in children than in mothers. Non-persistent chemicals with a short half-life including phthalate metabolites, bisphenol A (BPA), triclosan (TCS), and parabens are metabolized and excreted through urine. Therefore, we assessed the urine concentrations of phthalate metabolites, BPA, TCS, and parabens; correlated the concentrations with exposure levels; and assessed the within-individual variability of these chemicals in mothers and their infants. We collected 225 and 71 samples from 45 mothers and 36 infants, respectively. For the variability analysis, 189 and 42 samples were collected from nine mothers and their infants, respectively. The median concentrations of phthalate metabolites in the mothers and infants were 0.53–26.2 and 0.81–61.8 μg/L, respectively, and those of BPA, TCS, and parabens were 0.24–76.3 and 2.06–12.5 μg/L, respectively. The concentrations of monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-N-butyl phthalate (MnBP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), and BPA in the mothers were positively correlated with those in infants (0.45, 0.62, and 0.89, respectively; p < 0.05), whereas toxic chemical concentrations in infants were higher than those in the mothers. With respect to the within-individual intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the first morning void (FMV) of the mothers had high ICCs for all chemicals (range: 0.72–0.99), except for BPA, monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), and monocarboxyoctyl phthalate (MCOP). The ICC values of most chemicals were moderate to high (range: 0.34–0.99) in the first morning void. However, there were different patterns of ICCs in the infants. These findings indicate the importance of mother–infant pair studies and the necessity of research in infants, as they have different exposure sources and pathways from adults.

Biomonitoring of bisphenols A and S and phthalate metabolites in hair from pregnant women in Crete

Phthalates, bisphenols A and S (BPA, BPS) are used as plasticizers and many of them are documented or suspected of being endocrine disruptors. Several studies indicate that exposure during pregnancy may affect the newborn's health and development. The aim of this cross-sectional study is the biomonitoring of seven phthalate metabolites, BPA and BPS in hair from 100 pregnant women in Crete. The most frequently detected compounds were monoethylhexyl phthalate (mEHP) (68%), mono isobutyl phthalate (miBP) (40%), BPA (37%), BPS (34%) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (mnBP) (28%). Phthalate metabolites were detected at medians from 19.5 to 44.4 pg/mg, BPA at 69.9 pg/mg and BPS at 3.5 pg/mg. Significant positive correlations between phthalate metabolites were found which indicated their common sources of exposure. The frequent use of plastics for food storage was strongly associated with mEHP (p = .013) and a weaker association was found for miBP (p = .063). The frequent use of cosmetics during or before pregnancy was associated with levels of phthalate metabolites in hair. More specifically, the use of hair spray before pregnancy was significantly correlated with monobenzyl phthalate (mBzP) (p = .041) and a trend was found for miBP (p = .066). The use of makeup products during pregnancy was strongly associated with miBP (p = .015) and the use of deodorant during pregnancy was inversely associated with mEHP (p = .021). Strong associations came up between mEHP and lower birth weight (Spearman correlation coefficient, r = -0.302, p = .021) and exposure to BPS was associated with increased body mass index of the participants (p = .036). Although data in literature on biomonitoring of the compounds in hair are limited, the findings of this study are promising and in agreement with existing data in hair or urine.

Association Between Screen Time, Fast Foods, Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Adolescents

OBJECTIVE

Although previous studies have shown that screen time (ST), fast foods (FFs) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumption are associated with depressive symptoms in adolescents, research on these associations in Chinese adolescents is scarce. This study aimed to examine the association between ST, FFs, SSBs and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents, and explore the mediating effects of FFs and SSBs in the association between ST and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

This school-based nationwide survey was carried out among 14,500 students in four provinces of China. The Children's Depression Inventory was used to assess the participants' depressive symptoms. ST, FFs and SSBs consumption was measured by a self-reported questionnaire. The Bayesian multiple mediation model was used to analyze the mediation effect.

RESULTS

ST, FFs and SSBs, were more likely to be associated with depressive symptoms, and ORs (95%CI) was 1.075 (1.036-1.116), 1.062 (1.046-1.078) and 1.140 (1.115-1.166), after we adjusted for sociodemographic variables. Additionally, in Bayesian multiple mediation model, direct effect, mediating effect, total effect, the ratio of mediating effect to total effect was 0.125, 0.034, 0.159, and 0.214, respectively. All path coefficients of the three mediation paths are statistically significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates that ST, FFs and SSBs consumption are associated with depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. It is likely that FFs and SSBs partially mediate the association between ST and depressive symptoms by chain-mediating effects.

Distribution and Dietary Predictors of Urinary Phthalate Metabolites among Pregnant Women in Shanghai, China

The exposure of pregnant women to phthalates is a major concern due to their adverse effect on developmental outcomes. Diet is an important pathway for exposure to phthalate compounds. Nevertheless, studies on dietary exposure of pregnant women to phthalates in China are limited. We aimed to assess the distribution and dietary predictors of phthalate exposure among pregnant women in China. We measured the levels of 10 urinary phthalate metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry in 210 pregnant women as part of the 2015 China National Chronic Disease and Nutrition Survey in Shanghai. We assessed the urinary specific gravity-adjusted phthalate metabolite levels along with potential demographic and dietary predictors. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between each potential demographic variable and dietary predictor and urinary phthalate metabolites. Seven urinary phthalate metabolites were detected in >95% of pregnant women. The geometric mean (GM) of urinary phthalate biomarker values were highest for monobutyl phthalate (GM: 25.29 ng/mL) and monoisobutyl phthalate (GM:11.18 ng/mL). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that a lower educational level was associated with elevated urinary phthalate metabolite levels. Edible seaweed consumption had a positive correlation with urinary monoethyl phthalate and monoisobutyl phthalate levels, and the total molar sum of Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites. These findings offer important data on the dietary exposure to phthalates in pregnant Chinese women and suggest interventions to improve food safety.

A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures

Phthalates (diesters of phthalic acid) are widely used as plasticizers and additives in many consumer products. Laboratory animal studies have reported the endocrine-disrupting and reproductive effects of phthalates, and human exposure to this class of chemicals is a concern. Several phthalates have been recognized as substances of high concern. Human exposure to phthalates occurs mainly via dietary sources, dermal absorption, and air inhalation. Phthalates are excreted as conjugated monoesters in urine, and some phthalates, such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), undergo secondary metabolism, including oxidative transformation, prior to urinary excretion. The occurrence of phthalates and their metabolites in urine, serum, breast milk, and semen has been widely reported. Urine has been the preferred matrix in human biomonitoring studies, and concentrations on the order of several tens to hundreds of nanograms per milliliter have been reported for several phthalate metabolites. Metabolites of diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl- (DBP) and diisobutyl- (DiBP) phthalates, and DEHP were the most abundant compounds measured in urine. Temporal trends in phthalate exposures varied among countries. In the United States (US), DEHP exposure has declined since 2005, whereas DiNP exposure has increased. In China, DEHP exposure has increased since 2000. For many phthalates, exposures in children are higher than those in adults. Human epidemiological studies have shown a significant association between phthalate exposures and adverse reproductive outcomes in women and men, type II diabetes and insulin resistance, overweight/obesity, allergy, and asthma. This review compiles biomonitoring studies of phthalates and exposure doses to assess health risks from phthalate exposures in populations across the globe.

Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A in aqueous media: A review

Bisphenol A (BPA) is known to be an emerging pollutant in various environmental compartments. Human exposure to BPA occurs widely because it is commonly used as the raw material in a variety of industrial processes (e.g., the preparation of epoxy and polycarbonate resins). In this review, a brief survey was carried out to cover a range of photocatalytic materials (e.g., titania, zinc, silver, carbon, and bismuth) and their modified forms as an effective means to treat water systems contaminated with BPA. The overall efficiency and limitations of these catalysts are described for the photocatalytic treatment of BPA.

Food consumption survey of Shanghai adults in 2012 and its associations with phthalate metabolites in urine

BACKGROUND

Diet is considered to be a significant exposure pathway for phthalates. In this study, we assessed the associations between food consumption and urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites among Shanghai adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study involving 2418 participants was conducted in the fall of 2012. Recent food consumption was assessed by a 24-h dietary recall survey, and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) characterized long-term dietary patterns. Urinary metabolites of six phthalates were measured.

RESULTS

Both the 24-h recall survey and FFQ identified wheat, dairy, and fruits as being positively associated with the excretion of phthalate metabolites. The 24-h recall data also showed positive associations with processed meats and alcohol. We evaluated the impact of reported consumption of multiple food categories simultaneously (wheat, fruits, meats, etc.) on metabolite excretion and found that, as more food types were consumed, the number of metabolites excreted, as well as their concentrations, increased with high significance (p values<0.0001). We also evaluated the two survey instruments together. When both surveys reported consumption of fruits and dairy, the numbers of metabolites and their concentrations were significantly higher compared to when both surveys reported non-consumption, (p values<0.000001). Rice consumption was found to be negatively associated with phthalate excretion; frequent and high levels of rice consumption were found to be associated with lower excretion of metabolites.

CONCLUSION

Food consumption was associated with phthalate exposure in Shanghai adults. Both 24-h recall and FFQ identified significant associations between consumption of food types and phthalate exposure.