Infants’ Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers and Its Association with DNA Oxidative Damage
Phthalates are widely used plasticizers that can leach from consumer products and pose potential health risks, particularly to infants whose developing systems are vulnerable to environmental toxicants. While various exposure pathways have been identified, the contribution of dermal absorption from...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Toxics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/3/218 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850279730608078848 |
|---|---|
| author | Xi Lai Jiang Zhu Yangyang Liu Shengtao Ma Meiqing Lin Yan Hu Jingjing Liang Yanyan Song Wenyan Li Tianxin Zhao |
| author_facet | Xi Lai Jiang Zhu Yangyang Liu Shengtao Ma Meiqing Lin Yan Hu Jingjing Liang Yanyan Song Wenyan Li Tianxin Zhao |
| author_sort | Xi Lai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Phthalates are widely used plasticizers that can leach from consumer products and pose potential health risks, particularly to infants whose developing systems are vulnerable to environmental toxicants. While various exposure pathways have been identified, the contribution of dermal absorption from disposable diapers remains inadequately characterized. This study recruited 66 infants from Guangzhou, a representative city in southern China. Paired disposable diaper and urine samples were collected from each participant. Six phthalates in the diapers and nine metabolites in the urine were quantitatively analyzed. The predominant phthalate detected in the diapers was bis-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP, with a median concentration of 1670 ng/g, range: 678–5200 ng/g), followed by di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP, 948 ng/g, range: 189–5980 ng/g), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP, 333 ng/g, range: 16.1–4910 ng/g), and diethyl phthalate (DEP, 252 ng/g, range: 116–3350 ng/g). In urine, metabolites of DEHP (mEHP, mEHHP, and mEOHP) were the most abundant (87.1 ng/mL), followed by mnBP (metabolites of DnBP, 44.6 ng/mL), mEP (metabolites of DEP, 33.7 ng/mL), and miBP (metabolites of DiBP, 13.9 ng/mL). A positive correlation was observed between DnBP levels in diapers and mnBP levels in urine (r = 0.259, <i>p</i> = 0.035). Additionally, several urinary metabolites (miBP, mnBP, and mEP) were positively associated with a biomarker of DNA oxidative damage, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (r = 0.265–0.316, <i>p</i> < 0.01). The estimated daily uptake of DEP, DiBP, DnBP, and DEHP through dermal absorption from diapers accounted for 44.9%, 19.5%, 15.1%, and 7.76% of total exposure to these phthalates, respectively. These findings suggest that dermal absorption from diapers is a significant exposure pathway for infants. Given that both the amount of exposure and the contribution of dermal uptake are higher in younger infants, further attention is warranted to understand the potential effects of transdermal phthalate exposure on infant growth and development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d1e8bb8ee5f44cd58d0b8ff3d4ddda23 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj-art-d1e8bb8ee5f44cd58d0b8ff3d4ddda232025-08-20T01:49:00ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042025-03-0113321810.3390/toxics13030218Infants’ Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers and Its Association with DNA Oxidative DamageXi Lai0Jiang Zhu1Yangyang Liu2Shengtao Ma3Meiqing Lin4Yan Hu5Jingjing Liang6Yanyan Song7Wenyan Li8Tianxin Zhao9Department of Child Health Care, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, ChinaDepartment of Child Health Care, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, ChinaGuangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaGuangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaGuangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaDepartment of Child Health Care, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, ChinaDepartment of Child Health Care, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, ChinaDepartment of Child Health Care, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, ChinaDepartment of Respiratory, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, ChinaDepartment of Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, ChinaPhthalates are widely used plasticizers that can leach from consumer products and pose potential health risks, particularly to infants whose developing systems are vulnerable to environmental toxicants. While various exposure pathways have been identified, the contribution of dermal absorption from disposable diapers remains inadequately characterized. This study recruited 66 infants from Guangzhou, a representative city in southern China. Paired disposable diaper and urine samples were collected from each participant. Six phthalates in the diapers and nine metabolites in the urine were quantitatively analyzed. The predominant phthalate detected in the diapers was bis-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP, with a median concentration of 1670 ng/g, range: 678–5200 ng/g), followed by di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP, 948 ng/g, range: 189–5980 ng/g), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP, 333 ng/g, range: 16.1–4910 ng/g), and diethyl phthalate (DEP, 252 ng/g, range: 116–3350 ng/g). In urine, metabolites of DEHP (mEHP, mEHHP, and mEOHP) were the most abundant (87.1 ng/mL), followed by mnBP (metabolites of DnBP, 44.6 ng/mL), mEP (metabolites of DEP, 33.7 ng/mL), and miBP (metabolites of DiBP, 13.9 ng/mL). A positive correlation was observed between DnBP levels in diapers and mnBP levels in urine (r = 0.259, <i>p</i> = 0.035). Additionally, several urinary metabolites (miBP, mnBP, and mEP) were positively associated with a biomarker of DNA oxidative damage, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (r = 0.265–0.316, <i>p</i> < 0.01). The estimated daily uptake of DEP, DiBP, DnBP, and DEHP through dermal absorption from diapers accounted for 44.9%, 19.5%, 15.1%, and 7.76% of total exposure to these phthalates, respectively. These findings suggest that dermal absorption from diapers is a significant exposure pathway for infants. Given that both the amount of exposure and the contribution of dermal uptake are higher in younger infants, further attention is warranted to understand the potential effects of transdermal phthalate exposure on infant growth and development.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/3/218phthalatesnewborn babiesdermal exposuredisposable baby diapers8-OHdG |
| spellingShingle | Xi Lai Jiang Zhu Yangyang Liu Shengtao Ma Meiqing Lin Yan Hu Jingjing Liang Yanyan Song Wenyan Li Tianxin Zhao Infants’ Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers and Its Association with DNA Oxidative Damage Toxics phthalates newborn babies dermal exposure disposable baby diapers 8-OHdG |
| title | Infants’ Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers and Its Association with DNA Oxidative Damage |
| title_full | Infants’ Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers and Its Association with DNA Oxidative Damage |
| title_fullStr | Infants’ Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers and Its Association with DNA Oxidative Damage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Infants’ Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers and Its Association with DNA Oxidative Damage |
| title_short | Infants’ Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers and Its Association with DNA Oxidative Damage |
| title_sort | infants dermal exposure to phthalates from disposable baby diapers and its association with dna oxidative damage |
| topic | phthalates newborn babies dermal exposure disposable baby diapers 8-OHdG |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/3/218 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xilai infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage AT jiangzhu infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage AT yangyangliu infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage AT shengtaoma infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage AT meiqinglin infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage AT yanhu infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage AT jingjingliang infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage AT yanyansong infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage AT wenyanli infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage AT tianxinzhao infantsdermalexposuretophthalatesfromdisposablebabydiapersanditsassociationwithdnaoxidativedamage |