Abstracts: ISEE 20th Annual Conference, Pasadena, California, October 12–16, 2008: Contributed Abstracts
Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations Among Workers in Selected Industries Hines, C J* ; Hopf, N* ; Deddens, J* ; Calafat, A† ; Silva, M† ; Grote, A* ; Sammons, D*
*National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA; and †National Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Abstracts published in Epidemiology have been reviewed by the organizations of Epidemiology . Affliate Societies at whose meetings the abstracts have been accepted for presentation. These abstracts have not undergone review by the Editorial Board of Epidemiology .
doi: 10.1097/01.ede.0000339847.41078.52
ISEE-662
Background:
Phthalates are used as plasticizers and solvents in industrial, medical, and consumer products; however, occupational exposure information is limited.
Objectives:
We sought to obtain preliminary information on occupational exposures to diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in a cross-section of industries.
Methods:
We recruited 156 workers in 2003–2005 from eight industry sectors. Mid- and end-shift urine samples were analyzed for phthalate metabolites. We assessed occupational contribution by comparing creatinine-adjusted end-shift concentrations to mid-shift and U.S. general population concentrations.
Results:
Evidence of occupational exposure to DEHP was strongest in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film manufacturing and PVC compounding , to DBP in phthalate manufacturing and rubber gasket manufacturing , and to DEP in phthalate manufacturing . Each of these sectors used or produced the indicated phthalate. Geometric mean end-shift (GMend ) concentrations of the DEHP metabolites, mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate, were highest in PVC film (151 and 84.6 μg/g, respectively), and PVC compounding (102 and 60.8 μg/g, respectively). DEHP monoester was highest in nail-only salons (GMend = 19 μg/g). DBP monoester was 12-fold higher in rubber gasket (GMend = 418 μg/g) than in nail-only salons (GMend = 34.2 μg/g). DEP monoester decreased within-shift in all sectors, except in phthalate manufacturing which produced DEP (GMend = 716 μg/g). GMend phthalate metabolite concentrations frequently exceeded U.S. general population concentrations even when no workplace use was reported.
Conclusions:
Using phthalate urinary metabolites, we successfully identified workplaces with occupational phthalate exposure. Additional work is needed to distinguish occupational from non-occupational sources in low-exposure workplaces.
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