Emerging plasticizers in Eastern China: Population exposure and lipid metabolism related health risks

Emerging plasticizers are increasingly detected in environmental and human biological samples, yet data regarding human exposure and associated health risks remain limited.

This study uniquely assesses human exposure to emerging plasticizers by simultaneously quantifying 26 metabolites and 8 serum lipid biomarkers. It aims to explore their associations with lipid metabolism, providing new insights into the potential metabolic disruptions caused by these compounds.

Biomonitoring was conducted among 1514 participants from Jiangsu Province, Eastern China. Spearman's correlation was used to assess the influence of gender and age on metabolite levels. Generalized additive models examined associations between plasticizers and lipid biomarkers; quantile-based g-computation evaluated joint effects, and Bayesian benchmark dose analysis determined benchmark doses and hazard quotients.

Six plasticizers, namely dibutyl fumarate (DBF), diethyl succinate (DES), trihexyl trimellitate (THTM), dimethyl adipate (DMA), and two isomers of diisobutyl adipate (DiBA & DnBA), were identified as significantly associated with lipid biomarkers, suggesting their potential to disrupt lipid metabolism. Notably, THTM was identified as a plasticizer that may pose a potential health risk to the general population (hazard quotient > 1), a finding not previously highlighted in the literature.

This study identifies six emerging plasticizers associated with lipid metabolism disruption, with THTM potentially posing a health risk. The simultaneous assessment of plasticizer metabolites and lipid biomarkers represents a novel approach that provides valuable insights for future research and risk management, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.