Modeling Human Exposure to Phthalate Esters: A Comparison of Indirect and Biomonitoring Estimation Methods

Humans are potentially exposed to phthalate esters (PEs) through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. Studies quantifying exposure to PEs include “biomarker studies” and “indirect studies.” Biomarker studies use measurements of PE metabolites in urine to back-calculate exposure to the parent d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human and ecological risk assessment 2011-07, Vol.17 (4), p.923-965
Main Authors: Clark, Kathryn E, David, Raymond M, Guinn, Richard, Kramarz, Kurt W, Lampi, Mark A, Staples, Charles A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
absorption
biomarker
Biomarkers
breathing
Chemical compounds
Comparative analysis
Estimating techniques
Exposure Assessment
Human exposure
humans
ingestion
metabolites
molecular weight
phthalate ester
phthalates
temporal variation
uncertainty
urine
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Summary:Humans are potentially exposed to phthalate esters (PEs) through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. Studies quantifying exposure to PEs include “biomarker studies” and “indirect studies.” Biomarker studies use measurements of PE metabolites in urine to back-calculate exposure to the parent diester, while indirect studies use the concentration of the PE in each medium of exposure and the rate of intake of that medium to quantify intake of the PE. In this review, exposure estimates from biomarker and indirect studies are compiled and compared for seven PEs to determine if there are regional differences and if there is a preferred approach. The indirect and biomarker methods generally agree with each other within an order of magnitude and discrepancies are explained by difficulties in accounting for use of consumer products, uncertainty concerning absorption, regional differences, and temporal changes. No single method is preferred for estimating intake of all PEs; it is suggested that biomarker estimates be used for low molecular weight PEs for which it is difficult to quantify all sources of exposure and either indirect or biomarker methods be used for higher molecular weight PEs. The indirect methods are useful in identifying sources of exposure while the biomarker methods quantify exposure.
ISSN:1549-7860
1080-7039
1549-7860
DOI:10.1080/10807039.2011.588157