Pilot Study of Urinary Biomarkers of Phytoestrogens, Phthalates, and Phenols in Girls

Abstract

BackgroundHormonally active environmental agents have been measured among U.S. children using exposure biomarkers in urine. However, little is known about their variation by race, age, sex, and geography, and no data exist for newly developed biomarkers.ObjectiveOur goal was to characterize relevant, prevalent exposures for a study of female pubertal development.MethodsIn a pilot study among 90 girls from New York City, New York, Cincinnati, Ohio, and northern California, we measured 25 urinary analytes representing 22 separate agents from three chemical families: phytoestrogens, phthalates, and phenols. Exposures occur chiefly from the diet and from household or personal care products.ResultsParticipants represented four racial/ethnic groups (Asian, black, Hispanic, white), with mean age of 7.77 years. Most analytes were detectable in > 94% of samples. The highest median concentrations for individual analytes in each family were for enterolactone (298 μg/L), monoethylphthalate (MEP; 83.2 μg/L), and benzophenone-3 (BP3; 14.7 μg/L). Few or no data have been reported previously for four metabolites: mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate, triclosan, bisphenol A (BPA), and BP3; these were detected in 67–100% of samples with medians of 1.8–53.2 μg/L. After multivariate adjustment, two analytes, enterolactone and BPA, were higher among girls with body mass index < 85th reference percentile than those at or above the 85th percentile. Three phthalate metabolites differed by race/ethnicity [MEP, mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and mono-3-carboxypropylphthalate].ConclusionsA wide spectrum of hormonally active exposure biomarkers were detectable and variable among young girls, with high maximal concentrations (> 1,000 μg/L) found for several analytes. They varied by characteristics that may be relevant to development.

Concentrations of Bisphenol A and Seven Other Phenols in Pooled Sera from 3–11 Year Old Children: 2001–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

“…A few recent epidemiologic studies have suggested that prenatal and childhood exposure to some of these phenols (or their precursors) may be associated with altered neurodevelopment, obesity, and precocious puberty (11,26,(61)(62)(63)(64). Therefore, our findings confirming that these chemicals not only are present in U.S. children's urine (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), but also could circulate in blood warrant additional research to further evaluate the potential effects on human health upon exposure to these compounds (or their precursors).…”

“…Of interest, NHANES urinary data for triclosan, methyl paraben, propyl paraben and the two dichlorophenols also suggest widespread exposure to these compounds or their precursors in the U.S. general population at least since 2003 (10). Together these findings suggest that, despite the non-persistent physicochemical characteristics (e.g., rapid metabolism in humans) and the likely episodic nature of the exposures to triclosan, methyl paraben, and propyl paraben or to the precursors of 2,4-dichlorophenol and 2,5-dichlorophenol, trace concentrations of these chemicals are not only detectable in urine of young children (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), but can also be detected in blood.…”

Socioeconomic status in relation to early menarche among black and white girls

“…However, specific data on socioeconomic indicators and covariates prior to the participants' study entry at age 9 or 10 were not available and, therefore, were not evaluated in our analysis. While we were able to adjust for a number of potential explanatory variables linking SES and menarche, including anthropometric factors, we were unable to probe exposure to hormonally active environmental agents [36] as potential mediators of the association between SES and age at menarche.…”

Urinary, Circulating, and Tissue Biomonitoring Studies Indicate Widespread Exposure to Bisphenol A

“…To our knowledge, this is the only published study that completely failed to detect or measure any form of BPA in urine samples from environmentally exposed individuals. Volkel et al (2005) used HPLC-MS/MS; this is the same technique that was used in several other studies in which unconjugated and conjugated BPA were detected in urine Hong et al 2009;Mahalingaiah et al 2008;Nepomnaschy et al 2009;Teitelbaum et al 2008;Wolff et al 2007;Yang YJ et al 2009;Ye et al 2009a). Why did Volkel et al (2005) not detect any form of BPA?…”