Phthalates are plasticizers commonly detected in human urine due to widespread exposure from PVC plastics, food packaging, and personal care products. Several phthalates are known antiandrogenic endocrine disruptors, which raises concern for prenatal exposure during critical windows of fetal development. While phthalate exposure is ubiquitous, certain demographics are subject to greater or lesser exposure. We sampled urine from 378 pregnant women during the second trimester of gestation living in Charleston, SC, and measured eight urinary phthalate metabolites as biomarkers of phthalate exposure: monobutyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), and monomethyl phthalate (MMP). Demographic data was collected from questionnaires administered at the time of specimen collection. All phthalate metabolites were detected in over 93% of urine samples. On average, concentrations were highest for MEP (median = 47.0 ng/mL) and lowest for MMP (median = 1.92 ng/mL). Sociodemographic characteristics associated with elevated phthalate concentrations included being unmarried, less educated, having a low income, high body mass index (BMI), and/or being African American. After racial stratification, age, BMI, education, and income were significantly associated with phthalate concentrations in African American women. Marital status was associated with phthalate concentrations in Caucasian women only, with greater concentrations of MBP, MEHHP, MiBP, and MMP in unmarried versus married women. Results of this cross-sectional study provide evidence for significant racial and demographic variations in phthalate exposure.

邻苯二甲酸酯是通常在人尿中检测到的增塑剂，这是由于PVC塑料，食品包装和个人护理产品的广泛暴露。几种邻苯二甲酸盐是已知的抗雄激素内分泌干扰物，这引起了胎儿发育的关键时期对产前暴露的关注。尽管邻苯二甲酸盐的暴露无处不在，但某些人口统计数据的暴露程度或高或低。我们从居住在南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿的妊娠中期三个月的378名孕妇中抽取了尿液，并测量了八种邻苯二甲酸酯尿酸盐代谢物作为邻苯二甲酸盐暴露的生物标志物：邻苯二甲酸单丁酯（MBP），邻苯二甲酸单苄基酯（MBzP），邻苯二甲酸单（2-乙基己基）酯（MEHP），邻苯二甲酸单（2-乙基-5-氧己基）酯（MEOHP），邻苯二甲酸单（2-乙基-5-羟己基）酯（MEHHP），邻苯二甲酸单乙酯（MEP），邻苯二甲酸单异丁酯（MiBP），和邻苯二甲酸单甲酯（MMP）。人口统计学数据是从收集标本时发放的调查表中收集的。在超过93％的尿液样本中检测到所有邻苯二甲酸酯代谢物。平均而言，MEP的浓度最高（中位数= 47.0 ng / mL），而MMP的最低浓度（中位数= 1.92 ng / mL）。与邻苯二甲酸盐浓度升高相关的社会人口统计学特征包括未婚，受教育程度较低，收入低，体重指数（BMI）高和/或为非裔美国人。经过种族分层后，非洲裔美国妇女的年龄，BMI，教育程度和收入与邻苯二甲酸盐浓度显着相关。婚姻状况仅与白人女性的邻苯二甲酸盐浓度相关，未婚和已婚女性的MBP，MEHHP，MiBP和MMP浓度较高。