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Consumer product exposures associated with urinary phthalate levels in pregnant women

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 22, pages 468–475 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Human phthalate exposure is ubiquitous, but little is known regarding predictors of urinary phthalate levels. To explore this, 50 pregnant women aged 18–38 years completed two questionnaires on potential phthalate exposures and provided a first morning void. Urine samples were analyzed for 12 phthalate metabolites. Associations with questionnaire items were evaluated via Wilcoxon tests and t-tests, and r-squared values were calculated in multiple linear regression models. Few measured factors were statistically significantly associated with phthalate levels. Individuals who used nail polish had higher levels of mono-butyl phthalate (P=0.048) than non-users. Mono-benzyl phthalate levels were higher among women who used eye makeup (P=0.034) or used makeup on a regular basis (P=0.004). Women who used cologne or perfume had higher levels of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites. Household products, home flooring or paneling, and other personal care products were also associated with urinary phthalates. The proportion of variance in metabolite concentrations explained by questionnaire items ranged between 0.31 for mono-ethyl phthalate and 0.42 for mono-n-methyl phthalate. Although personal care product use may be an important predictor of urinary phthalate levels, most of the variability in phthalate exposure was not captured by our relatively comprehensive set of questionnaire items.

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Acknowledgements

Jessie P. Buckley and Jeanine M. Matuszewski were supported by a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences training grant (T32 ES007018). Amy H. Herring and Katherine E. Hartmann were supported by the American Water Works Association Research Foundation under Contract #2579. This work was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, DHHS (Z01ES049003). We thank CDC for the analysis of these samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

    Jessie P Buckley, Rachel T Palmieri & Katherine E Hartmann

  2. Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

    Jeanine M Matuszewski & Amy H Herring

  3. Carolina Population Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

    Amy H Herring

  4. Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

    Donna D Baird & Jane A Hoppin

  5. Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

    Katherine E Hartmann

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Correspondence to Jane A Hoppin.

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Buckley, J., Palmieri, R., Matuszewski, J. et al. Consumer product exposures associated with urinary phthalate levels in pregnant women. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 22, 468–475 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2012.33

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