title: Variability and predictors of urinary phthalate metabolites in Spanish pregnant women.
abstract: Developmental exposure to phthalates may be associated with adverse health outcomes but information on the variability and predictors of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations during pregnancy is limited. We evaluated in Spanish pregnant women (n=391) the reproducibility of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and predictors of exposure. We measured mono-(4-methyl-7-hydroxyoctyl) phthalate (7-OHMMeOP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), mono-(2-carboxyhexyl) phthalate (MCMHP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) in two spot urine samples collected in the first and third pregnancy trimesters. Questionnaires on predictors and food-frequency questionnaires were administered in the first and/or third pregnancy trimesters. Using creatinine-adjusted phthalate metabolite concentrations (log10-trasformed) we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Linear mixed and regression models assessed the associations between predictors and phthalate metabolites. The ICCs ranged from 0.24 to 0.07 and were higher for MBzP, MEP, MiBP, and lower for MEOHP and MEHHP. Overweight, lower education and social class, and less frequent consumption of organic food were associated with higher levels of some phthalate metabolites. The use of household cleaning products (bleach, ammonia, glass cleaners, oven cleaning sprays and degreasing products) at least once per week during pregnancy was associated with 10-44% higher urinary phthalate metabolites. Bottled-water consumption, consumption of food groups usually stored in plastic containers or cans, use of plastic containers for heating food and cosmetic use were not associated with increased concentrations of phthalate metabolites. This large study with repeated phthalate measurements suggests that, in this Spanish setting, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and household cleaning product use are better predictors of phthalate exposure levels in pregnant women than average water and food consumption and use of plastic containers and cosmetics.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain. Electronic address: dvalvi@creal.cat.
authors.forename: Damaskini
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valvi
authors.affiliation: Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Monfort
authors.affiliation: Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
authors.forename: Maribel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunyer
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrijheid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000032:analysis; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D060766:Drinking Water; D004435:Eating; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006795:Household Products / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000652:urine*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000652:urine; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000652:urine; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012923:Social Class; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D060766:Drinking Water; D010795:Phthalic Acids; C032279:phthalic acid; D003404:Creatinine
keywords: Biomonitoring; Endocrine disruptors; Phthalates; Predictors; Pregnancy; Variability