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Non-occupational exposure to phthalates in Finland
Simo P Porras1, Jani Koponen2, Minna Hartonen1
1Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, PO Box 40, FI-00032 Työterveyslaitos, Finland.
Toxicology Letters
|July 3, 2020
Summary
Phthalate exposure in Finnish adults was assessed, with diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) found in all samples. While individual phthalate levels were below safety limits, combined exposure to DnBP, DiBP, DEHP, and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) exceeded safe levels, indicating a need for exposure reduction.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Human Biomonitoring
Background:
- Phthalates are widely used plasticizers with potential endocrine-disrupting properties.
- Assessing human exposure is crucial for understanding potential health risks, especially in non-occupationally exposed populations.
- Biomonitoring equivalents (BEs) and derived no-effect levels (DNELs) provide benchmarks for evaluating exposure safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate phthalate exposure levels in the working-aged population in Finland.
- To compare Finnish exposure levels with international data and assess risks against established safety benchmarks.
- To identify specific phthalates contributing to potential combined exposure risks.
Main Methods:
- Urine samples were collected from 60 non-occupationally exposed Finnish adults (42 women, 18 men) in 2015.
- Concentrations of 10 phthalates (DEP, DnBP, DiBP, BzBP, DCHP, DEHP, DiNP, DiDP, DPHP, DnOP) and their metabolites were measured.
- Urinary phthalate levels were compared to biomonitoring equivalents (BEs) derived from DNELs, and risk characterization ratios (RCRs) were calculated.
Main Results:
- Metabolites of DEP, DnBP, and DiBP were detected in all urine samples. BBP, DEHP, and DiNP metabolites were found in over 90% of samples.
- Finnish exposure levels for DnBP were higher than those reported in German, Austrian, Norwegian, and US populations.
- While individual phthalate P95 levels were below their respective BEs (highest RCR 0.88 for DnBP), combined exposure to DnBP, DiBP, DEHP, and BBP resulted in an RCR exceeding 1.
Conclusions:
- The Finnish working-aged population shows significant exposure to common phthalates, with notable higher exposure to DnBP compared to other countries.
- Individual phthalate exposures were generally below established safety limits, but combined exposure to several phthalates poses a potential risk.
- There is a need to limit exposure to DnBP, DiBP, DEHP, and BBP due to the combined risk indicated by the study.
