Exposure and potential risks of thirteen endocrine- disrupting chemicals in pharmaceuticals and personal care products for breastfed infants in China

Yuyan Ji; Yawen Tian; Yitao Pan; Nan Sheng; Haizhen Dai; Xufei Fan; Xiaorui Liu; Xiaoxia Bai; Jiayin Dai

Environment International (Oct 2024)

Exposure and potential risks of thirteen endocrine- disrupting chemicals in pharmaceuticals and personal care products for breastfed infants in China

Yuyan Ji,
Yawen Tian,
Yitao Pan,
Nan Sheng,
Haizhen Dai,
Xufei Fan,
Xiaorui Liu,
Xiaoxia Bai,
Jiayin Dai

Affiliations

Yuyan Ji: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
Yawen Tian: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
Yitao Pan: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
Nan Sheng: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
Haizhen Dai: Department of Obstetrics, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
Xufei Fan: Department of Obstetrics, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
Xiaorui Liu: International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
Xiaoxia Bai: Department of Obstetrics, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China; Corresponding author.
Jiayin Dai: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Corresponding author at: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 192
p. 109032

Abstract

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Ingestion of breast milk represents the primary exposure pathway for endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in newborns. To elucidate the associated risks, it is essential to quantify EDC levels in both breast milk and infant urine. This study measured the concentrations of 13 EDCs, including parabens (methyl paraben (MP), ethyl paraben (EP), propyl paraben (PP), iso-propyl paraben, butyl paraben, and iso-butyl paraben), bisphenols (bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F, bisphenol S, bisphenol AF, and bisphenol Z), triclosan (TCS), and triclocarban, in breast milk and infant urine to assess their potential health effects and endocrine disruption risks. In total, 1 014 breast milk samples were collected from 20 cities across China, along with 144 breast milk samples and 134 urine samples from a mother-infant cohort in Hangzhou. The EDCs were detected using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Endocrine-disrupting potency was evaluated using a predictive method based on EDC affinity for 15 hormone receptor proteins. The toxicological priority index (ToxPi), incorporating population exposure data, was employed to assess health risks associated with exposure to multiple EDCs. Among the 13 EDCs, MP, EP, PP, BPA, and TCS were detected in over 50 % of breast milk samples, with the highest median concentrations observed for MP (0.37 ng/mL), EP (0.29 ng/mL), and BPA (0.17 ng/mL). Across the 20 cities, 0 %–40 % of infants had a hazard index (HI) exceeding 1. Based on affinity prediction analysis and estimated exposure, cumulative endocrine disruption risk intensity was ranked as MP > TCS > BPA > EP > PP. This research highlights the extensive exposure of Chinese infants to EDCs, offering a detailed analysis of their varying endocrine disruption potencies and underscoring the significant health risks associated with EDCs in breast milk.

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

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