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Temporal variability of urinary di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites during a dietary intervention study

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 24, pages 595–601 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) may be related to adverse health effects including developmental and reproductive disorders, prompting interest in strategies for reducing human exposure. We previously reported a reduction of DEHP metabolite levels in composite urine samples by more than 50% (geometric means) during a 3-day dietary intervention avoiding plastics in food packaging, preparation, and storage. In the present study, we analyzed individual spot urine samples before compositing in order to evaluate temporal variability. There were no meaningful changes in any of the previous findings when using individual rather than composited samples. Individual urine samples, like the composites, showed significant decreases of ≥50% in all three measured DEHP metabolites during the intervention. Compositing urine samples provided sufficient information to observe the effect of the intervention, whereas reducing analytical expenses compared with analyzing multiple samples individually. Low intraclass correlations (ICCs) for samples collected from the same person before the intervention indicate the importance of collecting multiple samples per exposure condition. Substantially larger ICCs during and after the intervention suggest that much of the variability observed in DEHP metabolite levels originates from dietary exposure.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Vassar College Institutional Review Board for assistance in study planning and human subjects research oversight. This work was supported by funding from Passport Foundation (Charlotte, North Carolina), the Susan S Bailis Breast Cancer Research Fund at Silent Spring Institute, and the American Chemistry Council Long-Range Research Initiative.

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The authors were free to design, conduct, interpret, and publish research without interference or input from any funding organization. This publication has not been reviewed by the American Chemistry Council and views expressed are solely the authors'. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Silent Spring Institute, Newton, Massachusetts, USA

    Janet M Ackerman, Robin E Dodson & Ruthann A Rudel

  2. Breast Cancer Fund, San Francisco, California, USA

    Connie L Engel

  3. Department of Psychology, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

    Janet M Gray

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  1. Janet M Ackerman
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Correspondence to Janet M Ackerman.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology website

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Ackerman, J., Dodson, R., Engel, C. et al. Temporal variability of urinary di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites during a dietary intervention study. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 24, 595–601 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2013.93

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