Association of urinary chlorophenols with central obesity in Korean girls

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2021, Vol.28 (2), p.1966-1972
• Main Authors: Seo, Moon Young, Choi, Man Ho, Hong, Youngmin, Kim, Shin-Hye, Park, Mi Jung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol; 2,4-Dichlorophenol; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Body Mass Index; Body size; Child; Children; Chlorophenol; Chlorophenols; Cross-Sectional Studies; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Female; Humans; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Obesity; Obesity, Abdominal - epidemiology; Prospective Studies; Quartiles; Republic of Korea; Research Article; Trichlorophenol; Trichlorophenols; Waist Circumference; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10628-z

This study aimed to assess the association between urinary concentrations of chlorophenols and childhood central obesity. The study subjects were 165 girls (91 with central obesity and 74 with non-central obesity) aged 7–8 years who visited a hospital for regular health check-ups. The urinary concentrations of chlorophenols including 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP), 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP), and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The central obesity group showed significantly higher urinary concentrations of 2,5-DCP (0.56 vs. 0.28 ng/mL) and 2,4,5-TCP (0.06 vs. 0.03 ng/mL) than the non-central obesity group. The sum of molar concentrations of urinary chlorophenols was also significantly higher in the central obesity group than in the non-central obesity group (9.83 vs. 5.26 nmol/L). Girls in the highest quartile of the molar sum of chlorophenols showed significantly higher body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) compared with the lowest quartile after adjusting for covariates. WC and WHtR, but not BMI, were significantly associated with higher quartiles of the molar sum of chlorophenols ( P -for-trend = 0.025 and 0.028, respectively). We found a positive association between chlorophenol exposure and central obesity in Korean girls. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.