Levels of Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Flame Retardants, TDCIPP, and TPHP, in Pregnant Women in Shanghai.

Journal: Journal of environmental and public health
PMID: 28115951

Abstract

Flame retardants are widely used in consumer products to reduce their flammability. Previously used flame retardants have been sequentially banned due to their environmental and human toxicity. Currently, tris(1,3-dichloropropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) are among the most commonly used flame retardants. TDCIPP and TPHP are reproductive toxins and have carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and endocrine-disrupting properties. Although high levels of TDCIPP and TPHP have been found in drinking water, seawater, and office air in China, data regarding human exposure are lacking. In this study, we assessed the level of urinary TPHP and TDCIPP metabolites (DPHP and BDCIPP, resp.) in a cohort of pregnant women ( = 23) from Shanghai, China, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. DPHP were detected in 100% urine samples, while only four urine samples had detectable level of BDCIPP in this cohort (17% detected). Geometric means of DPHP and BDCIPP concentrations were 1.1 ng/mL (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.6, 1.5 ng/mL) and 1.2 ng/mL (IQR: 0.6, 2.2 ng/mL), respectively. In this small cohort, urinary DPHP and BDCIPP levels were not significantly correlated with miscarriages, neonatal birthweight, gestational diabetes, or maternal age. These data suggest that exposure to TPHP is widespread, and they demonstrate the feasibility of using urinary biomarkers to measure exposures to modern flame-retardant chemicals.

Authors

  • Liping Feng
    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
  • Fengxiu Ouyang
    MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
  • Liangpo Liu
    School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, China.
  • Xu Wang
    Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.
  • Xia Wang
    Department of Neurology, The Sixth People's Hospital of Huizhou City, Huizhou, China.
  • Yi-Ju Li
    Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
  • Amy Murtha
    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
  • Heqing Shen
    Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.
  • Junfeng Zhang
    Medcine College of Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan 476000, China.
  • Jun Jim Zhang
    MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

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