Exposure to New Emerging Bisphenols Among Young Children in Switzerland

Abstract

<jats:p>Restrictions on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in consumer products led to its replacement by various bisphenol (BP) analogues, yet young children’s exposure to these analogues has been poorly characterized so far. This study aimed to characterize infants’ and toddlers’ exposure to BPA and 14 emerging BP analogues (i.e., bisphenol AF, bisphenol AP, bisphenol B, bisphenol BP, bisphenol C (BPC), bisphenol E, bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol G, bisphenol M (BPM), bisphenol P, bisphenol PH, bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol TMC, and bisphenol Z). We extracted infants’ and toddlers’ urine from diapers (n = 109) collected in Swiss daycare centers as a practical and noninvasive alternative approach to urinary biomonitoring. Bisphenols were present in 47% of the samples, with BPC and BPM being the most frequently detected (23% and 25% of all samples, respectively). The mean concentrations of urinary BPS and BPF were greater than that of BPA. This contrasts with data reported previously. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed a significant and negative correlation between urinary BPM concentration and the population’s age. Our results provide a first characterization of infants’ and toddlers’ exposure to bisphenols in Switzerland. This knowledge can be used to support ongoing biomonitoring studies and to prioritize exposure reduction and prevention strategies.</jats:p>

Concentrations of Seven Phthalate Monoesters in Infants and Toddlers Quantified in Urine Extracted from Diapers

“…Therefore, addition of salt solutions such as calcium chloride released the absorbed urine by changing the polar environment of the pad. Urine extraction from the diaper was based on a method developed by Liu et al [ 37 ] and further modified by Lucarini et al [ 44 ]. Briefly, the padding of the diaper (14 cm × 6 cm) was cut and mixed in aqueous calcium chloride solution (CaCl 2 (aq.)…”

“…The calibration was carried out by spiking clean disposable diapers with artificial urine (30 mL) (prepared according to Lucarini et al [ 44 ]) with the following concentrations: 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 200 μg/L, (more details are provided in the supplementary material, see Supplementary Materials Figures S1–S9 ) of the target phthalate metabolites. Blanks were prepared to check possible contamination during sample preparations as well as to exclude the presence of the phthalate monoesters analyzed in unused diapers.…”

“…Recently, interest in this sampling technique has grown, and a few studies have been published in this regard. In particular, urine extracted from diapers has been used to investigate the exposure of children to organophosphate insecticides [ 39 ], neonicotinoid insecticides [ 40 ], pyrethroid insecticides [ 41 ], tebuconazole [ 42 ], and phenolic endocrine disruptors [ 43 ] such as bisphenol A, bisphenol A analogs [ 44 ], triclosan, and phthalates [ 37 ]. These studies outlined several advantages on the use of diapers to collect urine in order to perform large surveys of young populations.…”

Occurrence of bisphenol A in the milk chain: A monitoring model for risk assessment at a dairy company

“…Infants, toddlers, and children are particularly vulnerable to EDC. Pre-and postnatal BPA exposure have been associated with increased risk of altered cognitive function (e.g., learning, memory) and behavior (e.g., hyperactivity), metabolic disorders (e.g., obesity), and breast or prostate cancer developed in later life (Lucarini et al, 2020). It is assumed that BPA poses no health risk to consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants, and adolescents) at levels below the t-TDI both from dietary exposure or a combination of sources (diet, dust, cosmetics, and thermal paper;EFSA, 2015), but the temporary nature of the limit is due to the uncertainty regarding the toxic effects on mammary glands and reproductive, metabolic, neurobehavioral, and immune systems.…”

Bisphenol AF Promoted the Growth of Uterus and Activated Estrogen Signaling Related Targets in Various Tissues of Nude Mice with SK-BR-3 Xenograft Tumor

“…Bisphenol AF (BPAF), as an alternative substitute of bisphenol A (BPA), has been widely applied to produce a variety of everyday household items and its global usage is estimated to increase in the next few years [ 1 ]. BPAF had been found in different environmental medium [ 2 , 3 , 4 ] with detection rate similar to BPA [ 5 ] and exists extensive exposure to human body by different pathways [ 6 , 7 ]. Additionally, BPAF can be transmitted to infants through breast milk [ 8 ].…”