Dietary intake is associated with phthalate body burden in a nationally representative sample.
BACKGROUND
Phthalates are compounds that are used in a wide range of consumer products. However, the contribution of dietary intake to phthalate exposure has not been well defined.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to assess the contribution of different food types to phthalate exposure. Phthalates are chemicals of concern because of the high levels measured in people and the environment, as well as the demonstrated toxicity in animal studies and limited epidemiological studies. Previous research, although limited, has suggested that phthalates contaminate food in various countries.


METHODS
We conducted an exploratory analysis of data collected as part of the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Associations between dietary intake (assessed by a 24-hr dietary recall) for a range of food types (meat, poultry, fish, fruit, vegetable, and dairy) and phthalate metabolites measured in urine were analyzed using multiple linear regression modeling.


RESULTS
We found that metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and high-molecular-weight phthalate metabolites were associated with the consumption of poultry. Monoethyl phthalate, the metabolite of diethyl phthalate (DEP), was associated with vegetable consumption, specifically tomato and potato consumption.


CONCLUSIONS
These results, combined with results from previous studies, suggest that diet is an important route of intake for phthalates. Further research is needed to determine the sources of food contamination with these toxic chemicals and to describe the levels of contamination of U.S. food in a large, representative U.S. sample.
Colacino
Justin A
JA
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, USA. colacino@umich.edu
Harris
T Robert
TR
Schecter
Arnold
A
D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000652:urine*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000652:urine*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010795:Phthalic Acids; C032279:phthalic acid
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