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Published on: March 21, 2018
Expressing urine from a gel disposable diaper for biomonitoring using phthalates as an example
Liangpo Liu1, Tongwei Xia, Lihua Guo
1Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.
Summary
A new method uses gel diapers to measure phthalate metabolites in infant urine, overcoming previous sampling challenges. This validated technique reveals common infant exposure to phthalates, highlighting potential health concerns.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Analytical Chemistry
- Pediatric Toxicology
Background:
- Urinary phthalate metabolites are established biomarkers for adults and children over 6.
- Current methods are unsuitable for infants due to inconvenient urine sampling.
- Phthalate exposure in infants is a growing concern due to potential health effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel method for monitoring phthalate metabolite exposure in infants.
- To enable convenient urine sample collection from infants using gel diapers.
Main Methods:
- Urine was expressed from gel absorbent diapers after mixing with calcium chloride (CaCl2).
- Phthalate metabolites were extracted using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed via HPLC-ESI-MS/MS.
- Method feasibility assessed through factors like CaCl2 proportion, urination volume, matrix blanks, storage stability, and recovery rates.
Main Results:
- The method successfully expressed 70-80% of urine from gel diapers.
- Recoveries for spiked phthalate metabolites ranged from 88.5-115%, with limits of detection between 0.21-0.50 ng/ml.
- Pilot study on 15 infants indicated common phthalate exposure.
Conclusions:
- A sound and validated method for monitoring infant phthalate exposure using gel diapers has been established.
- The findings underscore the prevalence of phthalate exposure in infants.
- The potential health implications of phthalate exposure in vulnerable infants warrant further concern and investigation.
