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Changes in Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Levels Before and After the Phthalate Contamination Event and Identification of Exposure Sources in a Cohort of Taiwanese Children

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  • Chian-Feng Huang

    (Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10055, Taiwan
    Taoyuan Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan 33058, Taiwan)

  • I-Jen Wang

    (Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei 11267, Taiwan
    Institute of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 100044, Taiwan
    Department of Health Risk Management, China Medical University, Taichung 110001, Taiwan)

Abstract

In 2011, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration inadvertently discovered that, for decades, manufacturers had replaced expensive natural emulsifiers in food products with diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). We wanted to compare urinary phthalate metabolite levels of children before and after the DEHP food contamination event and identify source(s) of phthalate exposure in addition to the illegal food additives. In the present study, morning urine samples were collected from a cohort of 453 children in 2010 in Taipei. After the DEHP food contamination event, there were 200 cohort children left at follow-up in 2013. The geometric means (GMs) of urinary mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP) levels before and after the event were 9.39 and 13.34 µg/g of creatinine, respectively, with no significant difference ( p = 0.093). After the DEHP food contamination event, we found that urinary phthalate metabolite levels were significantly higher in people who frequently consumed microwave-heated food and used fragrance-containing products ( p < 0.05). In addition, children who did not frequently wash hands before eating had significantly higher urinary phthalate metabolite levels than those who did ( p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that urinary phthalate metabolite levels did not decrease after the DEHP food contamination event, thus, other sources must contribute to phthalate exposure in daily life. Public awareness of approaches to reducing phthalate exposure is necessary.

Suggested Citation

  • Chian-Feng Huang & I-Jen Wang, 2017. "Changes in Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Levels Before and After the Phthalate Contamination Event and Identification of Exposure Sources in a Cohort of Taiwanese Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:8:p:935-:d:108909
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yi Wen & Shu-Dan Liu & Xun Lei & Yu-Shuang Ling & Yan Luo & Qin Liu, 2015. "Association of PAEs with Precocious Puberty in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-15, December.
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