Exploring noninvasive matrices for assessing long-term exposure to phthalates: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health Sciences
• Analytical Chemistry
• Toxicology

Background:

• Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are prevalent pseudo-persistent organic pollutants.
• Urine analysis for PAE exposure is effective but requires frequent sampling, increasing costs and workload.
• Alternative non-invasive matrices are sought for efficient long-term exposure assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scope review on detection methods for PAE exposure using non-invasive matrices.
• To evaluate the validity of using hair and nails for assessing long-term PAE exposure.
• To identify research gaps and suggest future directions for PAE exposure monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases (2000-2024).
• Inclusion of 12 studies investigating PAE detection in hair and nails.
• Description and comparison of sample preprocessing and detection methodologies.

Main Results:

• Nine studies utilized hair and three used nails for PAE detection.
• Five studies compared hair/nail results with urine analysis for validity.
• Hair demonstrated greater suitability than nails for long-term PAE exposure assessment.

Conclusions:

• Hair is a potentially superior non-invasive matrix for long-term PAE exposure monitoring compared to nails.
• Current sample handling and extraction protocols for hair are inconsistent across studies.
• Further research and standardization are required to validate and implement hair-based PAE detection methods.