Associations between maternal phthalate exposure and cord sex hormones in human infants

It has been speculated that maternal phthalate exposure may affect reproductive development in human newborns. However, the mechanism awaits further investigation. The aim is to evaluate the association between maternal phthalate exposure and cord sex steroid hormones in pregnant women and their newborns from the general population. A total of 155 maternal and infant pair were recruited and analyzed. Levels of urinary phthalate metabolites and sex steroid hormones were determined using liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and radioimmunoassay (RIA), respectively. No significant correlation was found between each steroid hormones and phthalate metabolites for male newborns, except MMP was marginally significantly correlated with E₂. After adjusting for maternal age, estradiol (E₂) levels in cord serum from male newborns were not correlated with maternal urinary phthalate metabolites. In female newborns, the maternal urinary levels of mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP) were negatively correlated with the free testosterone (fT) and fT/E₂ levels in cord serum with Pearson correlation coefficients ranging between −0.24 and −0.29 (p < 0.05). Additionally, after gestational age was adjusted, the maternal urinary level of DEHP was negatively correlated with the free testosterone (fT) and fT/E₂ levels in cord serum. We suggest that maternal exposure to phthalates may affect sex steroid hormones status in fetal and newborn stage.     

太滆运河表层沉积物中的酞酸酯类增塑剂和溴系、有机磷系阻燃剂残留特征初探

分别采用微波萃取-气相色谱/质谱法、加速溶剂萃取提取-液相色谱/质谱法对采自太滆运河5个沉积物样品中的6种邻苯二甲酸酯类(PAEs)、13种多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)和9种有机磷酸酯(OPEs)的质量比及分布进行研究。结果表明,所有样品中均检测到PAEs、PBDEs和OPEs(以总量计),其总质量比分别为1.99~6.90μg/g,47~572和17.1~69.7 ng/g;十溴联苯醚(BDE-209)和磷酸三异辛酯(TEHP)分别是质量比最高的PBDEs和OPEs;对于PAEs,入太湖点位处邻苯二甲酸二(2-乙基己基)酯(DEHP)质量比较高,其余点位则是邻苯二甲酸二正丁酯(DBP)质量比较高;ω(PAEs)、ω(PBDEs)和ω(OPEs)两两间线性相关性较好,指示其来源相同;下游沉积物中污染物的质量比均高于上游,沿岸生产、生活中增塑剂和阻燃剂对太湖的污染应引起更多关注。     

Analysis of the influencing factors of PAEs volatilization from typical plastic products

The primary emphasis of this research was to investigate the foundations of phthalate(PAEs) pollutant source researches and then firstly confirmed the concept of the coefficient of volatile strength, namely phthalate total content in per unit mass and unit surface area of pollutant sources. Through surveying and evaluating the coefficient of volatile strength of PAEs from typical plastic products, this research carried out reasonable classification of PAEs pollutant sources into three categories and then investigated the relationship amongst the coefficient of volatile strength as well as other environmental factors and the concentration level of total PAEs in indoor air measured in environment chambers.Research obtained phthalate concentration results under different temperature, humidity,the coefficient of volatile strength and the closed time through the chamber experiment. In addition, this study further explored the correlation and ratio of influencing factors that affect the concentration level of total PAEs in environment chambers, including environmental factors, the coefficient of volatile strengths of PAEs and contents of total PAEs in plastic products. The research created an improved database system of phthalate the coefficient of volatile strengths of each type of plastic goods, and tentatively revealed that the volatile patterns of PAEs from different typical plastic goods, finally confirmed that the coefficient of volatile strengths of PAEs is a major factor that affects the indoor air total PAEs concentration, which laid a solid foundation for further establishing the volatile equation of PAEs from plastic products.     

Occurrence and microbial degradation of phthalate esters in Taiwan river sediments

Concentrations and microbial degradation rates were measured for eight phthalate esters (PAEs) found in 14 surface water and six sediment samples taken from rivers in Taiwan. The tested PAEs were diethyl phthalate (DEP), dipropyl phthalate (DPP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), diphenyl phthalate (DPhP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), dihexyl phthalate (DHP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCP), and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). In all samples, concentrations of DEHP and DBP were found to be higher than the other six PAEs. DEHP concentrations in the water and sediment samples ranged from ND to 18.5 μg/l and 0.5 to 23.9 μg/g, respectively; for DBP the concentration ranges were 1.0–13.5 μg/l and 0.3–30.3 μg/g, respectively. Concentrations of DHP, BBP, DCP and DPhP were below detection limits. Under aerobic conditions, average degradation half-lives for DEP, DPP, DBP, DPhP, BBP, DHP, DCP and DEHP were measured as 2.5, 2.8, 2.9, 2.6, 3.1, 9.7, 11.1 and 14.8 days, respectively; under anaerobic conditions, respective average half-lives were measured as 33.6, 25.7, 14.4, 14.6, 19.3, 24.1, 26.4 and 34.7 days. In other words, under aerobic conditions we found that DEP, DPP, DBP, DPhP and BBP were easily degraded, but DEHP was difficult to degrade; under anaerobic conditions, DBP, DPhP and BBP were easily degraded, but DEP and DEHP were difficult to degrade. Aerobic degradation rates were up to 10 times faster than anaerobic degradation rates.     

Phthalate esters (PAEs): emerging organic contaminants in agricultural soils in peri-urban areas around Guangzhou, China

This study reports the first data on the concentrations and distribution of phthalate esters (PAEs) in the agricultural soils from the peri-urban areas of Guangzhou city. Σ₁₆PAEs concentrations ranged from 0.195 to 33.6 μg g⁻¹-dry weight (dw). Elevated levels of PAEs were recorded in the vegetable fields located next to the urban districts, and a decreasing trend exists following the distance away from the urban center. Diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), Di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) dominated the PAEs in the agricultural soils. Significant relationship (correlation coefficient R² = 0.85, p < 0.01, n = 40) was present between the accumulation of PAEs and total organic carbons in agricultural soils. In addition, both pH and texture of soils are found to be important factors affecting the level of PAEs. This study shows that the agricultural soils in the peri-urban area of Guangzhou city were moderately polluted by PAEs.     

土壤中邻苯二甲酸酯类物质的降解及其对土壤酶活性的影响

邻苯二甲酸酯类物质(PAEs)是一类在环境中广泛存在的有毒有机化合物,本研究探讨了不同浓度梯度的4种PAEs在土壤中的降解,及其对不同土壤酶活性的影响.用GC-MS法测定土壤溶液中PAEs的浓度,结果表明,土壤中的微生物对PAEs的降解起主要作用,对降解数据拟合发现,PAEs降解符合一级动力学方程,并且碳链越短的酯降解效果越好,降解速率越高.在相对高浓度的PAE30环境中,碳链较长的DnOP的降解效率要低于相对低浓度时的降解率,且在40 d后只能降解73%.采用标准方法测定基质酶的活性,在PAEs加入土壤之后,β-葡萄糖苷酶、磷酸酶、脲酶、蛋白酶的活性均有变化.磷酸酶的活性先降低后升高,β-葡萄糖苷酶活性缓慢下降,蛋白酶活性先升高后降低,脲酶则呈逐渐升高的趋势.但是随着胁迫时间的延长(20 d后),除了β-葡萄糖苷酶的活性继续降低,其他酶活性都逐渐恢复,并超过了对照组.     

土壤中15种酞酸酯类化合物测定

采用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)分析了东北某钢铁厂土壤中15种酞酸酯类化舍物(PAEs).结果表明,该方法对15种酞酸酯分离好,平均加标回收率为74.8%～121%,精密度RSD(n=5)在8.3%～13.9%之间,方法检出限为0.01～0.09mg/kg.方法操作简便、准确,具有较好的实用性.     

土壤介质中酞酸酯类污染物分析方法研究

介绍了加压流体提取(PFL、ASE)提取-GPC净化-GC/MS分析土壤中酞酸酯类污染物方法的程序和质控要求,研究了每个步骤对分析六种目标物准确度和精密度的影响以及测定实际土壤样品的情况.结果显示,加压流体提取(PFL)、浓缩和GPC净化各步骤全程序空白加标回收率分别在86.3%～108%、78.5%～117%和87.4%～103%范围,精密度均在15%以内.在实际土壤样品中加入六种酞酸酯标准的加标回收率在45.2%～103.4%范围内,其相对标准偏差8%～23%.     

鞍山市空气颗粒物中酞酸酯的季节变化与功能区差异

采用气相色谱-质谱仪(GC-MS)对辽宁省鞍山市空气颗粒物中15种酞酸酯夏季和冬季的浓度进行了分析测定,研究了酞酸酯污染水平的季节变化,不同功能区酞酸酯浓度的差异,以及DBP和DEHP在夏冬两季中的污染特点,将鞍山市夏冬两季酞酸酯的浓度与国内外部分城市进行了比较,分析了产生上述结果的原因,基本说明了鞍山市空气颗粒物中酞酸酯的污染状况。