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Phthalate exposure and risk assessment in California child care facilities
Fraser W Gaspar1, Rosemary Castorina, Randy L Maddalena
1School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley , Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
Insights
Phthalate chemicals like DBP and DEHP are widespread in California early childhood education facilities. Many children face reproductive and cancer risks from exposure, particularly younger children.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health Sciences
- Toxicology
- Pediatric Environmental Exposure
Background:
- Millions of young children in early childhood education (ECE) settings are vulnerable to harmful chemical exposures during critical developmental stages.
- Phthalates are common plasticizers found in indoor environments, raising concerns about potential health impacts on children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify phthalate ester concentrations in indoor dust and air within Northern California ECE facilities.
- To assess the potential health risks, specifically reproductive toxicity and cancer, associated with measured phthalate exposures in children.
Main Methods:
- Measured concentrations of five phthalate esters in indoor dust and air samples collected from ECE facilities.
- Conducted a probabilistic health risk assessment using measured concentrations and California's Proposition 65 risk benchmarks.
Main Results:
- Dominant phthalates in dust: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP).
- Dominant phthalates in indoor air: Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP).
- Significant percentages of children exceeded health benchmarks: 82-89% for DBP (reproductive risk) and 8-11% for DEHP (cancer risk in <2-year-olds).
Conclusions:
- This study reveals widespread phthalate contamination in U.S. ECE facilities, representing the largest investigation to date.
- Findings indicate a substantial risk of reproductive and carcinogenic health effects for children exposed to phthalates in ECE environments.
Abstract:
Approximately 13 million U.S. children less than 6 years old spend some time in early childhood education (ECE) facilities where they may be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals during critical periods of development. We measured five phthalate esters in indoor dust (n = 39) and indoor and outdoor air (n = 40 and 14, respectively) at ECE facilities in Northern California. Dust and airborne concentrations were used to perform a probabilistic health risk assessment to compare estimated exposures with risk levels established for chemicals causing reproductive toxicity and cancer under California's Proposition 65. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) were the dominant phthalates present in floor dust (medians = 172.2 and 46.8 μg/g, respectively), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) were the dominant phthalates in indoor air (medians = 0.52, 0.21, and 0.10 μg/m(3), respectively). The risk assessment results indicate that 82-89% of children in California ECE had DBP exposure estimates exceeding reproductive health benchmarks. Further, 8-11% of children less than 2 years old had DEHP exposure estimates exceeding cancer benchmarks. This is the largest study to measure phthalate exposure in U.S. ECE facilities and findings indicate wide phthalate contamination and potential risk to developing children.
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