title: Determinants of bisphenol A and phthalate metabolites in urine of Flemish adolescents.
abstract: As part of the second Flemish Environment and Health Study (FLEHS II), bisphenol-A (BPA) and different phthalate metabolites were analyzed, for the first time, in the urine of 210 adolescents in Flanders, Belgium. All chemicals had a detection frequency above 90%. For all compounds, except the sum of DEHP, highest levels were detected during spring. Average values for the Flemish adolescents were in an agreement with concentrations found in different international studies, all confirming the ubiquity of BPA and phthalate exposure. There was a significant correlation between BPA and the different phthalate metabolites (r between 0.26 and 0.39; p<0.01). Shared sources of exposure to BPA and phthalates, such as food packaging, were suggested to be responsible for this positive correlation. Different determinants of exposure were evaluated in relation to the urinary concentrations of these chemicals. For BPA, a significant association was observed with household income class, smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. For phthalates, the following significant associations were observed: age (MBzP), educational level of the adolescent (MBzP), equivalent household income (MnBP), use of personal care products (MnBP and MBzP), wall paper in house (MnBP and MBzP) and use of local vegetables (MnBP and MBzP).
authors.affiliation: Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tinne
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geens
authors.affiliation: Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bruckers
authors.affiliation: Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: adrian.covaci@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Covaci
authors.affiliation: Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schoeters
authors.affiliation: Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium; Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fierens
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sioen
authors.affiliation: Environmental Analysis and Technology Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vanermen
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium.
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Baeyens
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morrens
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Loots
authors.affiliation: Provincial Institute for Hygiene, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nelen
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Benoit Nemery
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: de Bellevaux
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium and (retired) Study Centre for Carcinogenesis and Primary Prevention of Cancer, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nik Van
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Larebeke
authors.affiliation: Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium.
authors.forename: Elly Den
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Hond
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001530:Belgium; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D010636:Phenols / Q000652:urine*; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000652:urine*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000652:urine*; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D010636:Phenols; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
keywords: Adolescents; Biomonitoring; Bisphenol-A; Determinants of exposure; Flanders; Phthalate metabolites