Determinants of organophosphate esters exposure in pregnant women from East China

Abstract

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been broadly used in various industrial and consumer products, resulting in global distribution and human exposure. Gestational exposure to OPEs may adversely affect the health of both pregnant women and their offspring. To better understand OPE exposure in pregnant women, our study determined eight urinary metabolites of major OPEs in pregnant women (n = 733) recruited at 12–16 weeks of gestation from Shanghai, China, and explored the determinants of OPE exposure among various sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyles, and dietary factors. Urinary metabolites of OPEs, including bis (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCPP), bis (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP), bis (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPP), dicresyl phosphate (DCP), diphenyl phosphate (DPP), dibutyl phosphate (DBP), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (BEHP), and bis (2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (BBOEP), exhibited a detection rate ranging from 69.30% to 99.32%. Multivariate linear regression models indicated that pregnant women who were multiparous, had a higher family income per capita, worked in white-collar jobs, and took nutritional supplements such as milk powder and fish oil tended to have higher urinary OPE metabolite concentrations. Besides, independent of sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors, consumption of more aquatic products, soy products, pork, and puffed food, as well as drinking of purified tap water versus tap water, were associated with increased urinary OPEs metabolite concentrations. Our study demonstrated that OPE exposure was ubiquitous in pregnant women from Shanghai, and provided new insights into the potential factors influencing OPE exposure during pregnancy.