Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Urinary heavy metals, phthalates and polyaromatic hydrocarbons independent of health events are associated with adult depression: USA NHANES, 2011–2012

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Links between environmental chemicals and human health have emerged, but the effects on mental health such as depression were less studied. Therefore, it was aimed to study the relationships between different sets of urinary environmental chemical concentrations and adult depression in a national and population-based setting in recent years. Data was retrieved from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2011–2012 including demographics, serum measurements, lifestyle factors, self-reported health conditions and urinary chemical concentrations. Depression was determined by using the Patient Health Questionnaire with a cutoff point at 9/10. Chi-square test, t test and survey-weighted logistic regression modeling were performed. Among 5560 American adults aged 20–80 years, 363 (7.8 %) people were classified as having depression (Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥ 10). They tended to have history of health events. After full adjustment including urinary creatinine; demographic characteristics; lifestyle factors; health conditions (such as cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, digestive and bone diseases, and injury); and subsample weighing; and higher levels of manganese, tin, and phthalates including mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl, mono-n-butyl, mono-isobutyl, and mono-benzyl were associated with adult depression. Similarly, urinary polyaromatic hydrocarbons including 2-hydroxyfluorene, 3-hydroxyfluorene, 9-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxyphenanthrene, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, 3-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-hydroxypyrene, 1-hydroxynaphthalene (1-naphthol), 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-naphthol) and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene were associated with depression. There were no associations observed in urinary arsenic, phenols, parabens, pesticides, perchlorate, nitrate, thiocyanate and polyfluorinated compounds. Urinary heavy metal, phthalates and polyaromatic hydrocarbons were associated with adult depression, being independent of health events. Further elimination of such harmful chemicals might need to be considered in future mental health and environmental policies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ball A, Truskewycz A (2013) Polyaromatic hydrocarbon exposure: an ecological impact ambiguity. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 20:4311–4326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bromet E, Andrade LH, Hwang I, Sampson NA, Alonso J, de Girolamo G, de Graaf R, Demyttenaere K, Hu C, Iwata N, Karam AN, Kaur J, Kostyuchenko S, Lépine JP, Levinson D, Matschinger H, Mora ME, Browne MO, Posada-Villa J, Viana MC, Williams DR, Kessler RC (2011) Cross-national epidemiology of DSM-IV major depressive episode. BMC Med 9:90–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erikson KM, Dorman DC, Lash LH, Aschner M (2008) Duration of airborne-manganese exposure in rhesus monkeys is associated with brain regional changes in biomarkers of neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicology 29:377–385

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jain S, Ferrando SJ (2011) Manganese neurotoxicity presenting with depression, psychosis and catatonia. Psychosomatics 52:74–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kajta M, Wójtowicz AK (2013) Impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on neural development and the onset of neurological disorders. Pharmacol Rep 65:1632–1639

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luebke RW, Hodson PV, Faisal M, Ross PS, Grasman KA, Zelikoff J (1997) Aquatic pollution-induced immunotoxicity in wildlife species. Fundam Appl Toxicol 37:1–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manea L, Gilbody S, McMillan D (2012) Optimal cut-off score for diagnosing depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): a meta-analysis. CMAJ 184:E191–E196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michel TM, Frangou S, Thiemeyer D, Camara S, Jecel J, Nara K, Brunklaus A, Zoechling R, Riederer P (2007) Evidence for oxidative stress in the frontal cortex in patients with recurrent depressive disorder—a postmortem study. Psychiatry Res 151:145–150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Min A, Liu F, Yang X, Chen M (2014) Benzyl butyl phthalate exposure impairs learning and memory and attenuates neurotransmission and CREB phosphorylation in mice. Food Chem Toxicol 71:81–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mulligan KJ, Davidson TM, Caruso JA (1990) Feasibility of the direct analysis of urine by inductively coupled argon plasma mass-spectrometry for biological monitoring of exposure to metals. J Anal At Spectrom 5:301–306

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Samsel A, Seneff S (2015) Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases III: manganese, neurological diseases, and associated pathologies. Surg Neurol Int 6:45

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiue I (2013a) Urine phthalate concentrations are higher in people with stroke: United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), 2001–2004. Eur J Neurol 20:728–731

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shiue I (2013b) Association of urinary arsenic, heavy metal, and phthalate concentrations with food allergy in adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–2006. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 111:421–423

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shiue I (2013c) Urinary environmental chemical concentrations and vitamin D are associated with vision, hearing, and balance disorders in the elderly. Environ Int 53:41–46

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shiue I (2014a) Urinary thiocyanate concentrations are associated with adult cancer and lung problems: US NHANES, 2009–2012. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. doi:10.1007/s11356-014-3777-8

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiue I (2014b) Higher urinary heavy metal, phthalate, and arsenic but not parabens concentrations in people with high blood pressure, U.S. NHANES, 2011–2012. Int J Environ Res Public Health 11:5989–5999

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shiue I (2015a) Are urinary polyaromatic hydrocarbons associated with adult hypertension, heart attack, and cancer? USA NHANES, 2011–2012. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4922-8

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiue I (2015b) Urinary heavy metals, phthalates, phenols, thiocyanate, parabens, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons but not arsenic or polyfluorinated compounds are associated with adult oral health: USA NHANES, 2011–2012. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4749-3

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiue I (2015c) Arsenic, heavy metals, phthalates, pesticides, hydrocarbons and polyfluorinated compounds but not parabens or phenols are associated with adult remembering condition: US NHANES, 2011–2012. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 22:6381–6386

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva CR, Oliveira MB, Melo SF, Dantas FJ, de Mattos JC, Bezerra RJ, Caldeira-de-Araujo A, Duatti A, Bernardo-Filho M (2002) Biological effects of stannous chloride, a substance that can produce stimulation or depression of the central nervous system. Brain Res Bull 59:213–216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva MJ, Samandar E, Preau JL Jr, Reidy JA, Needham LL, Calafat AM (2007) Quantification of 22 phthalate metabolites in human urine. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 860:106–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Solís-Vivanco R, Rodríguez-Agudelo Y, Riojas-Rodríguez H, Ríos C, Rosas I, Montes S (2009) Cognitive impairment in an adult Mexican population non-occupationally exposed to manganese. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 28:172–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB (1999) Validation and utility of a self-report version of prime MD: the PHQ primary care study. JAMA 282:1737–1744

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tormoehlen LM, Tekulve KJ, Nañagas KA (2014) Hydrocarbon toxicity: a review. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 52:479–489

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vahter ME (1988) Arsenic. In: Clarkson TW, Friberg L, Nordberg GF, Sager PR (eds) Biological monitoring of toxic metals. Plenum Press, New York, pp 303–21

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Woodruff TJ, Zota AR, Schwartz JM (2011) Environmental chemicals in pregnant women in the United States: NHANES 2003–2004. Environ Health Perspect 119(6):878–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, Cook RL, Ilacqua VA, Kan H, Talbott EO, Kearney G (2010) Studying associations between urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and cardiovascular diseases in the United States. Sci Total Environ 408:4943–4948

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ye X, Kuklenyik Z, Needham LL, Calafat AM (2005) Automated on-line column-switching HPLC-MS/MS method with peak focusing for the determination of nine environmental phenols in urine. Anal Chem 77:5407–5413

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ye X, Kuklenyik Z, Bishop AM, Needham LL, Calafat AM (2006) Quantification of the urinary concentrations of parabens in humans by on-line solid phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 844:53–59

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Benton, NE7 7XA, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK

    Ivy Shiue

  2. Owens Institute for Behavioral Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Ivy Shiue

Authors
  1. Ivy Shiue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ivy Shiue.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shiue, I. Urinary heavy metals, phthalates and polyaromatic hydrocarbons independent of health events are associated with adult depression: USA NHANES, 2011–2012. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 17095–17103 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4944-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4944-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation