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Phthalate Metabolites in Urine Samples from School Children in Taipei, Taiwan

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Abstract

In 2011, Taiwan authorities reported that two phthalates, including di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and di-iso-nonyl phthalate, were intentionally introduced into a variety of foods and beverages during the course of 15 years. However, little is known about body burdens of phthalate contaminations in local residents, especially children recently living in Taiwan. In the present study, five target phthalate metabolite analytes—including mono-methyl phthalate, mono-ethyl phthalate, mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), and mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP)—in spot urine samples were analyzed by way of high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry–mass spectrometry. All of the urine samples were collected from 225 healthy school children between 12 and 15 years of age (average 13.6) in the Taipei area, Taiwan, between 2009 and 2010. As the dominant urinary phthalate metabolites in Taiwanese school children, MEHP and MBP contributed 61 and 29 % of all of the target analytes, respectively. MEHP had the highest median of 29.8 μg/g creatinine (range of 13.1–72.8), which was greater than those reported for school children in the other countries during the same period, whereas MBP had a median of 14.3 μg/g creatinine (range 7.91–27.8). Statistically, urinary concentrations of MBP, MBzP, and MEHP were determined to have significantly positive correlations with the ages of Taiwanese school children (p < 0.05). Furthermore, urinary levels of MBzP in male children were considerably greater than those in female children (p = 0.006).

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grant No. 81172630 from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Grant No. 98-2314-B-002-138-MY3 from the National Science Council in Taiwan. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the funding source. The funding source had no role in the design or analysis of the study publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Science, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang, 110870, China

    Jia Bao

  2. Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China

    Xiao-Wen Zeng, Xiao-Di Qin & Guang-Hui Dong

  3. Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 100, Taiwan

    Yungling Leo Lee

  4. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China

    Xi Chen & Nai-Jun Tang

  5. Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China

    Yi-He Jin

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  1. Jia Bao
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  2. Xiao-Wen Zeng
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  3. Xiao-Di Qin
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  4. Yungling Leo Lee
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  5. Xi Chen
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  6. Yi-He Jin
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  7. Nai-Jun Tang
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  8. Guang-Hui Dong
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Nai-Jun Tang or Guang-Hui Dong.

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Bao, J., Zeng, XW., Qin, XD. et al. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine Samples from School Children in Taipei, Taiwan. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 69, 202–207 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0146-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0146-7

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