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PloS One 2023The etiology of autism spectrum (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADHD) disorders are multifactorial. Epidemiological studies have shown associations with...
BACKGROUND
The etiology of autism spectrum (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADHD) disorders are multifactorial. Epidemiological studies have shown associations with environmental pollutants, such as plasticizers. This study focused on two of these compounds, the Bisphenol-A (BPA) and Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP). The major pathway for BPA and DEHP excretion is via glucuronidation. Glucuronidation makes insoluble substances more water-soluble allowing for their subsequent elimination in urine.
HYPOTHESIS
Detoxification of these two plasticizers is compromised in children with ASD and ADHD. Consequently, their tissues are more exposed to these two plasticizers.
METHODS
We measured the efficiency of glucuronidation in three groups of children, ASD (n = 66), ADHD (n = 46) and healthy controls (CTR, n = 37). The children were recruited from the clinics of Rutgers-NJ Medical School. A urine specimen was collected from each child. Multiple mass spectrometric analyses including the complete metabolome were determined and used to derive values for the efficiency of glucuronidation for 12 varied glucuronidation pathways including those for BPA and MEHP.
RESULTS
(1) Both fold differences and metabolome analyses showed that the three groups of children were metabolically different from each other. (2) Of the 12 pathways examined, only the BPA and DEHP pathways discriminated between the three groups. (3) Glucuronidation efficiencies for BPA were reduced by 11% for ASD (p = 0.020) and 17% for ADHD (p<0.001) compared to controls. DEHP showed similar, but not significant trends.
CONCLUSION
ASD and ADHD are clinically and metabolically different but share a reduction in the efficiency of detoxification for both BPA and DEHP with the reductions for BPA being statistically significant.
Topics: Humans; Child; Diethylhexyl Phthalate; Plasticizers; Neurodevelopmental Disorders
PubMed: 37703261
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289841 -
Environmental Research Nov 2022Phthalates are widely used as plasticizers. Laboratory-based mechanistic and epidemiological studies suggest that phthalates are detrimental to human health. Here, we...
Phthalates are widely used as plasticizers. Laboratory-based mechanistic and epidemiological studies suggest that phthalates are detrimental to human health. Here, we present prospective analyses on phthalate exposure and all-cause, as well as cause-specific, mortality from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a population-based cohort. Between 1999 and 2018, urinary concentrations of 12 phthalate metabolites were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in spot urine samples of 10,881 adults aged 40-85 years, of which 2382 died over a median duration of 8.9 years after sample provision. Multivariable Cox regression analyses adjusted for a wide range of lifestyle factors and comorbidities showed that higher concentrations of mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) and Mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) were associated with increased mortality. The hazard ratios for participants in the highest quartiles of MBzP and MnBP concentrations were at 1.27 [95% confidence interval: 1.08, 1.49; p = 0.002] and 1.35 [1.13, 1.62; p = 0.005). These findings reinforce the need for monitoring of phthalate exposure in relation to health outcomes.
Topics: Adult; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Nutrition Surveys; Phthalic Acids; Plasticizers; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 35868575
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113927 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2022Plasticizers increase the flexibility of plastics. As environmental leachates they lead to increased water and soil pollution, as well as to serious harm to human...
Plasticizers increase the flexibility of plastics. As environmental leachates they lead to increased water and soil pollution, as well as to serious harm to human health. This study was set out to explore various web applications to predict the toxicological properties of plasticizers. Web-based tools (e.g., BOILED-Egg, LAZAR, PROTOX-II, CarcinoPred-EL) and VEGA were accessed via an 5th-10th generation computer in order to obtain toxicological predictions. Based on the LAZAR mutagenicity assessment was only bisphenol F predicted as mutagenic. The BBP and DBP in RF; DEHP in RF and XGBoost; DNOP in RF and XGBoost models were predicted as carcinogenic in the CarcinoPred-EL web application. From the bee predictive model (KNN/IRFMN) BPF, di-n-propyl phthalate, diallyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and diisohexyl phthalate were predicted as strong bee toxicants. Acute toxicity for fish using the model Sarpy/IRFMN predicted 19 plasticizers as strong toxicants with LC50 values of less than 1 mg/L. This study also considered plasticizer effects on gastrointestinal absorption and other toxicological endpoints.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Bees; Plasticizers; Dibutyl Phthalate
PubMed: 36385271
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18327-0 -
Journal of Exposure Science &... May 2022Persistent organic pollutant exposures are well-documented in the Arctic, but fewer studies examined non-persistent chemicals, despite increased market food and consumer...
BACKGROUND
Persistent organic pollutant exposures are well-documented in the Arctic, but fewer studies examined non-persistent chemicals, despite increased market food and consumer product consumption.
OBJECTIVE
To measure phenol, paraben, phthalate, and alternative plasticizer concentrations in Inuit adults.
METHODS
The study included 30 pooled urine samples from Qanuilirpitaa? 2017 Nunavik Inuit Health Survey (Q2017) participants. Creatinine-adjusted geometric mean concentrations (GM) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were compared across sex, age, and regions, and compared to those in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) and the First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative (FNBI).
RESULTS
Q2017 bisphenol-A concentrations were double the CHMS 2018-2019 concentrations [GM (95% CI): 1.98 (1.69-2.31) versus 0.71 (0.60-0.84) µg/g creatinine], but in line with FNBI [1.74 (1.41-2.13) µg/g creatinine]. Several phthalate concentrations were higher in Q2017 versus CHMS, particularly monobenzyl phthalate, which was was 19-fold higher in Q2017 versus CHMS 2018-2019 [45.26 (39.35-52.06) versus 2.4 (2.0-2.9) µg/g creatinine] and four-fold higher than FNBI. There were also four-fold higher concentrations of the two alternate plasticizer 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate (TIXB) metabolites in Q2017 compared to CHMS 2018-2019. Women and people living in Ungava Bay had generally higher concentrations of non-persistent chemicals.
SIGNIFICANCE
The results suggest higher concentrations of certain non-persistent chemicals in Inuit versus the general Canadian population.
IMPACT
Few studies have explored non-persistent chemical distributions in Northern communities, despite the increasing consumer product and market food consumption. We analyzed 30 pooled samples from the Qanuilirpitaa? Nunavik Inuit Health Survey 2017 to assess exposures to common plasticizes and plastic constituents and compare their levels with the general Canadian population and First Nation groups. We observed particularly higher levels of bisphenol-A, of monobenzyl phthalate, and of two 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate (TXIB) metabolites among Nunavimmiut compared to the general Canadian population, notably among women and Ungava Bay residents. Larger studies are required to confirm our findings and identify potential adverse health effects from these exposures.
Topics: Adult; Canada; Creatinine; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Humans; Phthalic Acids; Plasticizers; Plastics
PubMed: 35347231
DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00425-w -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2024Measures to endorse the adoption of eco-friendly biodegradable plastics as a response to the scale of plastic pollution has created a demand for innovative products from... (Review)
Review
Measures to endorse the adoption of eco-friendly biodegradable plastics as a response to the scale of plastic pollution has created a demand for innovative products from materials from Nature. Ionic liquids (ILs) have the ability to disrupt the hydrogen bonding network of biopolymers, increase the mobility of biopolymer chains, reduce friction, and produce materials with various morphologies and mechanical properties. Due to these qualities, ILs are considered ideal for plasticizing biopolymers, enabling them to meet a wide range of specifications for biopolymeric materials. This mini-review discusses the effect of different IL-plasticizers on the processing, tensile strength, and elasticity of materials made from various biopolymers (e.g., starch, chitosan, alginate, cellulose), and specifically covers IL-plasticized packaging materials and materials for biomedical and electrochemical applications. Furthermore, challenges (cost, scale, and eco-friendliness) and future research directions in IL-based plasticizers for biopolymers are discussed.
Topics: Ionic Liquids; Plasticizers; Cellulose; Biopolymers; Chitosan
PubMed: 38338998
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031720 -
American Journal of Respiratory and... Sep 2020
Topics: Allergens; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Cross-Over Studies; Dibutyl Phthalate; Humans; Plasticizers
PubMed: 32628859
DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202005-2048ED -
Journal of the Formosan Medical... Nov 2011In May 2011, the illegal use of the phthalate plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in clouding agents for use in foods and beverages was reported in Taiwan. This food... (Review)
Review
In May 2011, the illegal use of the phthalate plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in clouding agents for use in foods and beverages was reported in Taiwan. This food scandal has caused shock and panic among the majority of Taiwanese people and has attracted international attention. Phthalate exposure is assessed by ambient monitoring or human biomonitoring. Ambient monitoring relies on measuring chemicals in environmental media, foodstuff and consumer products. Human biomonitoring determines body burden by measuring the chemicals, their metabolites or specific reaction products in human specimens. In mammalian development, the fetus is set to develop into a female. Because the female phenotype is the default, impairment of testosterone production or action before the late phase may lead to feminizing characteristics. Phthalates disrupt the development of androgen-dependent structures by inhibiting fetal testicular testosterone biosynthesis. The spectrum of effects obtained following perinatal exposure of male rats to phthalates has remarkable similarities with the human testicular dysgenesis syndrome. Epidemiological studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and shorter gestational age, shorter anogenital distance, shorter penis, incomplete testicular descent, sex hormone alteration, precocious puberty, pubertal gynecomastia, premature thelarche, rhinitis, eczema, asthma, low birth weight, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, low intelligence quotient, thyroid hormone alteration, and hypospadias in infants and children. Furthermore, many studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and increased sperm DNA damage, decreased proportion of sperm with normal morphology, decreased sperm concentration, decreased sperm morphology, sex hormone alteration, decreased pulmonary function, endometriosis, uterine leiomyomas, breast cancer, obesity, hyperprolactinemia, and thyroid hormone alteration in adults. Finally, the number of phthalate-related scientific publications from Taiwan has increased greatly over the past 5 years, which may reflect the health effects from the illegal addition of phthalate plasticizer to clouding agent in foodstuff over the past two decades.
Topics: Animals; Beverages; Body Burden; Diethylhexyl Phthalate; Environmental Monitoring; Female; Fetus; Food Safety; Humans; Male; Models, Animal; Plasticizers; Spermatozoa
PubMed: 22118310
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2011.09.002 -
Biomacromolecules Apr 2023Biopolymers are abundant, renewable, and biodegradable resources. However, bio-based materials often require toughening additives, like (co)polymers or small...
Biopolymers are abundant, renewable, and biodegradable resources. However, bio-based materials often require toughening additives, like (co)polymers or small plasticizing molecules. Plasticization is monitored via the glass transition temperature versus diluent content. To describe this, several thermodynamic models exist; nevertheless, most expressions are phenomenological and lead to over-parametrization. They also fail to describe the influence of sample history and the degree of miscibility via structure-property relationships. We propose a new model to deal with semi-compatible systems: the generalized mean model, which can classify diluent segregation or partitioning. When the constant is below unity, the addition of plasticizers has hardly any effect, and in some cases, even anti-plasticization is observed. On the other hand, when the is above unity, the system is highly plasticized even for a small addition of the plasticizer compound, which indicates that the plasticizer locally has a higher concentration. To showcase the model, we studied Na-alginate films with increasing sizes of sugar alcohols. Our analysis showed that blends have properties that depend on specific polymer interactions and morphological size effects. Finally, we also modeled other plasticized (bio)polymer systems from the literature, concluding that they all tend to have a heterogeneous nature.
Topics: Transition Temperature; Plasticizers; Temperature; Polymers; Biopolymers; Excipients
PubMed: 36889305
DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01356 -
Biomolecules Jul 2020Dual-functioning additives with plasticizing and antibacterial functions were designed by exploiting the natural aromatic compound eugenol and green platform chemical...
Dual-functioning additives with plasticizing and antibacterial functions were designed by exploiting the natural aromatic compound eugenol and green platform chemical levulinic acid or valeric acid that can be produced from biobased resources. One-pot synthesis methodology was utilized to create three ester-rich plasticizers. The plasticizers were thoroughly characterized by several nuclear magnetic resonance techniques (H NMR, C NMR, P NMR, HSQC, COSY, HMBC) and by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and their performances, as plasticizers for polylactide (PLA), were evaluated. The eugenyl valerate was equipped with a strong capability to depress the glass transition temperature () of PLA. Incorporating 30 wt% plasticizer led to a reduction of the by 43 °C. This was also reflected by a remarkable change in mechanical properties, illustrated by a strain at break of 560%, almost 110 times the strain for the breaking of neat PLA. The two eugenyl levulinates also led to PLA with significantly increased strain at breaking. The eugenyl levulinates portrayed higher thermal stabilities than eugenyl valerate, both neat and in PLA blends. The different concentrations of phenol, carboxyl and alcohol functional groups in the three plasticizers caused different bactericidal activities. The eugenyl levulinate with the highest phenol-, carboxyl- and alcohol group content significantly inhibited the growth of and , while the other two plasticizers could only inhibit the growth of . Thus, the utilization of eugenol as a building block in plasticizer design for PLA illustrated an interesting potential for production of additives with dual functions, being both plasticizers and antibacterial agents.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; Escherichia coli; Eugenol; Green Chemistry Technology; Levulinic Acids; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Pentanoic Acids; Plasticizers; Polyesters; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Staphylococcus aureus; Thermodynamics
PubMed: 32698323
DOI: 10.3390/biom10071077 -
Environmental Research Apr 2020Phthalate esters and phosphate flame retardants and plasticizers (PFRs) are both used as plasticizers and are commonly detected in indoor environments. Although both...
BACKGROUND
Phthalate esters and phosphate flame retardants and plasticizers (PFRs) are both used as plasticizers and are commonly detected in indoor environments. Although both phthalates and PFRs are known to be associated with children's wheeze and allergic symptoms, there have been no previous studies examining the effects of mixtures of these exposures.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate the association between exposure to mixtures of phthalate esters and PFRs, and wheeze and allergic symptoms among school-aged children.
METHODS
A total of 128 elementary school-aged children were enrolled. Metabolites of 3 phthalate esters and 7 PFRs were measured in urine samples. Parent-reported symptoms of wheeze, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema were evaluated using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. In the primary model, we created a phthalate ester and PFR mixture exposure index, and estimated odds ratios (ORs) using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression and quantile g (qg)-computation. The two highest chemicals according to qg-computation weight %s were combined to create a combination high × high exposure estimate, with ORs calculated using the "low × low" exposure group as the reference category. Concentrations of each metabolite were corrected by multiplying this value by the sex- and body size-Standardised creatinine concentration and dividing by the observed creatinine value. All models were adjusted for sex, grade, dampness index and annual house income.
RESULTS
The odds ratio of rhinoconjunctivitis for the association between exposure to chemical mixtures according to the WQS index positive models was; OR = 2.60 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38-5.14). However, wheeze and eczema of the WQS index positive model, none of the WQS index negative models or qg-computation result yielded statistically significant results. Combined exposure to the two highest WQS weight %s of "high-high" ΣTCIPP and ΣTPHP was associated with an increased prevalence of rhino-conjunctivitis, OR = 5.78 (1.81-18.43) to the "low × low" group.
CONCLUSIONS
Significant associations of mixed exposures to phthalates and PFRs and increased prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis was found among elementary school-aged children in the WQS positive model. Mixed exposures were not associated with any of allergic symptoms in the WQS negative model or qg-computation approach. However, the combined effects of exposure to two PFRs suggested an additive and/or multiplicative interaction, potentially increasing the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis. A further study with a larger sample size is needed to confirm these results.
Topics: Child; Environmental Exposure; Esters; Flame Retardants; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Phosphates; Phthalic Acids; Plasticizers; Respiratory Sounds
PubMed: 32058144
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109212