Association of phthalate exposure with anthropometric indices and blood pressure in first-grade children

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2018-08, Vol.25 (23), p.23125-23134
• Main Authors: Wu, Wei, Wu, Ping, Yang, Fang, Sun, Dan-ling, Zhang, De-Xing, Zhou, Yi-Kai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropometry; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Body Mass Index; Body measurements; Body size; Body weight; Child; Children; Confidence intervals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Pollutants - adverse effects; Environmental science; Female; Gender; Girls; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Metabolites; Multivariate Analysis; Overweight; Phthalates; Phthalic Acids - adverse effects; Regression analysis; Regression models; Research Article; Sex Factors; Skinfold Thickness; Statistical analysis; Urine; Waist Circumference - drug effects; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2447-7

We aimed to assess the relationship of urine phthalate metabolite concentrations with anthropometric indices, and blood pressure in first-grade children. We detected 11 phthalate metabolites in urine and estimated anthropometric indices, including skinfold measurements, waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI) in 276 children aged 6–8 years. Multivariate linear regression models were used to assess the associations between urinary phthalate metabolite levels, and anthropometric and blood pressure indices in a gender-specific manner. In boys, a 1-ng/mL increase in monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) concentration was associated with a 0.027-cm decrease in the skinfold measurement (95% confidence interval [CI], − 0.053 to 0.001), whereas a 1-ng/mL increase in mono-ethyl-phthalate (MEP) concentration was associated with a 0.016-mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure (95% CI, − 0.031 to 0.001). MBzP, mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), and MEOHP concentrations were also inversely associated with WC. However, in girls, MEP concentrations were positively associated with chest measurements, but were inversely associated with WC. A 1-ng/mL increase in monomethyl phthalate concentrations was associated with a 0.039-cm increase in skinfold measurements (95% CI, 0.002 to 0.076), whereas a 1-ng/mL increase in MECPP concentrations was associated with a 0.050 cm decrease in skinfold measurements (95% CI, − 0.095 to − 0.005). In this exploratory, cross-sectional analysis, we identified various interesting associations between different phthalate metabolite levels and anthropometric indices, which suggest that some of phthalate metabolite should be considered in addition to the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity.