title: DEHP metabolites in urine of children and DEHP in house dust.
abstract: Urine samples from the 2001/2002 pilot study for the German Environmental Survey on children (GerES IV) were analysed for concentrations of the primary DEHP metabolite MEHP (mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) and two secondary DEHP metabolites SOH-MEHP (2-ethyl-5-hydroxy-hexylphthalate) and 5oxo-MEHP (2-ethyl-5-oxo-hexylphthalate). Urine samples had been taken from 254 children aged 3 to 14. In addition, DEHP was analysed in house dust samples. These samples had been collected with vacuum cleaners in the homes of the children. The geometric mean (GM) was 7.9 microg/l for MEHP in urine, and the GMs for the secondary metabolites 5OH-MEHP and 5oxo-MEHP were 52.1 microg/l and 39.9 microg/l. 5OH-MEHP and 5oxo-MEHP concentrations were highly correlated (r = 0.98). The correlations of 5OH-MEHP and 5oxo-MEHP with MEHP were also high (r = 0.72 and r = 0.70). The concentrations of 5OH-MEHP and 5oxo-MEHP were 8.0-fold and 6.2-fold higher than the concentrations of MEHP. The ratios 5OH-MEHP/Soxo-MEHP and 5oxo-MEHP/MEHP decreased with increasing age. Boys showed higher concentrations than girls for all three metabolites of DEHP in urine. Children aged 13-14 had the lowest mean concentrations of the secondary metabolites in urine. The house dust analyses revealed DEHP contamination of all samples. The GM was 508 mg/kg dust. No correlation could be observed between the levels of any of the urinary DEHP metabolites and those of DEHP in house dust.
authors.affiliation: Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environmental Agency), Berlin, Germany. Kerstin.Becker@uba.de
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Margarete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seiwert
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Angerer
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heger
authors.forename: Holger M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagorka
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosskamp
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schlüter
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ullrich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate