title: Temporal variability and sources of triclosan exposure in pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Triclosan (TCS) is an antibacterial agent commonly added to personal care products. Some animal research studies have associated TCS exposure with androgenic and thyroid effects, as well as endocrine disruption, contact dermatitis and skin irritation. Limited Canadian data exist on exposure levels, temporal variability and sources of exposure to TCS, especially among pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single and serial spot urine samples (n=1249), as well as consumer product use information were collected over 5 study visits across pregnancy and post-partum from 80 healthy pregnant women in Ottawa, Canada. Urine samples were analyzed for TCS by GC-MS-MS. Summary statistics, linear mixed effects models, and surrogate category analysis were used to describe the results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Triclosan was detected in 87% of maternal urine samples (LOD=3.0μg/L). The geometric mean TCS concentration of all urine samples was 21.6μg/L (95% CI 18.2-25.7). Triclosan concentrations were significantly higher when the urine was collected before 16:00, in the autumn, and more than 90min since last void, and in nulliparous women with household incomes greater than $100,000. A significant correlation was observed between maternal urinary TCS concentrations and number of reported uses of TCS-containing products. The ability of a single spot urine sample collected at any time during or post-pregnancy to predict an individual's geometric mean urinary TCS level corresponding to low, medium, or high exposure was 86.7%. Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated high reproducibility within a week-day (0.77) and week-end day (0.79) and moderate reproducibility across the study period (0.50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provided the first data on temporal variability of urinary TCS concentrations and predictors of exposure in Canadian pregnant women. These results can inform exposure assessments in pregnant women and justify collection of single spot urine samples in epidemiologic studies, especially for women with higher exposures.
authors.affiliation: Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada; The University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Lorelle
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Electronic address: Tye.Arbuckle@hc-sc.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Tye E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Arbuckle
authors.affiliation: Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; The University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ramsay
authors.affiliation: The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Ranjeeta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mallick
authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Russ
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.affiliation: Centre de toxicologie du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
authors.affiliation: The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Centre de toxicologie du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dumas
authors.affiliation: Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Carly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000652:urine*; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000652:urine; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006795:Household Products / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009864:Ontario; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012621:Seasons; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014260:Triclosan / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D014260:Triclosan
keywords: Biomonitoring; Personal care products; Pregnancy; Temporal variability; Triclosan; Urine