Associations between food contaminants exposure and pubertal development at 10 and 13 years old

Endocrine-disrupting compounds, such as acrylamide (AA) and bisphenol A (BPA), are external substances usually found in air, water, food and other consumer products that may influence puberty timing. This study aims to assess the association of AA and BPA, individually and combined, on pubertal development in a sample of children and adolescents aged 4-13. Data from Generation XXI cohort was used (n = 5279). Dietary information was gathered through food diaries. Dietary AA exposure was estimated by merging food consumption with occurrence data from EFSA's publication. BPA exposure was estimated using a random forest model that integrated food consumption data with urinary BPA. Pubertal development was assessed by trained professionals at 10- and 13-years using Tanner scale. Linear regression models tested the associations between exposure to food contaminants (individually and combined), and pubertal development. The median dietary exposure was higher in boys for both AA and BPA, decreasing with age. A negative association was found between individual AA exposure at 7-years (-0.007 (95%CI:-0.013,-0.002)), 10-years (-0.006 (95%CI:-0.010,-0.003)) and 13-years (-0.005 (95%CI:-0.009,-0.001)) and the pubertal development global score in girls, and a positive association for individual AA exposure at 13-years (0.003 (95%CI:0.001,0.007)) in boys. A significant positive association between BPA exposure at 10 and 13 years and a higher pubertal development global score was only found in boys. Testing combined exposure did not significantly change the results observed for individual exposure to each food contaminant. Childhood and adolescent exposure to AA and BPA was associated with impaired timing of puberty timing, representing a relevant public health concern.