title: Levels of Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Flame Retardants, TDCIPP, and TPHP, in Pregnant Women in Shanghai.
abstract: Flame retardants are widely used in consumer products to reduce their flammability. Previously used flame retardants have been sequentially banned due to their environmental and human toxicity. Currently, tris(1,3-dichloropropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) are among the most commonly used flame retardants. TDCIPP and TPHP are reproductive toxins and have carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and endocrine-disrupting properties. Although high levels of TDCIPP and TPHP have been found in drinking water, seawater, and office air in China, data regarding human exposure are lacking. In this study, we assessed the level of urinary TPHP and TDCIPP metabolites (DPHP and BDCIPP, resp.) in a cohort of pregnant women (N= 23) from Shanghai, China, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. DPHP were detected in 100% urine samples, while only four urine samples had detectable level of BDCIPP in this cohort (17% detected). Geometric means of DPHP and BDCIPP concentrations were 1.1 ng/mL (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.6, 1.5 ng/mL) and 1.2 ng/mL (IQR: 0.6, 2.2 ng/mL), respectively. In this small cohort, urinary DPHP and BDCIPP levels were not significantly correlated with miscarriages, neonatal birthweight, gestational diabetes, or maternal age. These data suggest that exposure to TPHP is widespread, and they demonstrate the feasibility of using urinary biomarkers to measure exposures to modern flame-retardant chemicals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2936-7397
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Fengxiu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Liangpo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Yi-Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murtha
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Heqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Nicholas School of the Environment and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China.
authors.forename: Junfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jun Jim
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000652:urine*; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000652:urine; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D010755:Organophosphates; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; C588130:bis(1,3-dichloropropyl)phosphate; C016805:tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate; C005445:triphenyl phosphate