Elevated exposure to environmental chemicals among individuals with substance use disorder

Biomonitoring of environmental chemical exposures among individuals with substance use disorder is scarce, although they may experience a distinct spectrum of exposures compared to the general population. We measured 121 environmental chemicals including bactericides, benzophenones, bisphenols, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, organophosphate esters, parabens, phthalates, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the urine of 200 overdose patients (presenting at emergency department in hospitals) from New York State, USA. Forty-eight analytes were detected in over 70 % of the urine samples, with the total concentrations ranging from 11.5 to 12100 ng/mL (median: 415 ng/mL). Phthalates (particularly phthalic acid and monoethyl phthalate) were the major class of chemicals, accounting for 75 % of the total concentrations. Positive correlations were found within and across different classes of environmental chemicals measured in urine. Urinary concentrations of environmental chemicals and drugs (i.e., opioids and stimulants) showed a significant positive correlation (R = 0.36, p < 0.05), suggesting that drug use may be associated with elevated chemical exposure. Exposure doses of various environmental chemicals were calculated from the urinary concentrations and compared against reference doses. Health risks associated with measured concentrations of environmental chemicals in overdose patients were generally below the hazardous quotient [HQ] of 0.1, except for bisphenols A, S and F (HQ: 1.6-121).