Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors (Di(2-Ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and Bisphenol A (BPA)) in Women from Different Residing Areas in Italy: Data from the LIFE PERSUADED Project

Abstract

Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are plasticizers used in many industrial products that can act as endocrine disruptors and lead to metabolic diseases. During the LIFE PERSUADED project, we measured the urinary concentrations of BPA and Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) metabolites in 900 Italian women representative of the Italian female adult population (living in the north, centre, and south of Italy in both rural and urban areas). The whole cohort was exposed to DEHP and BPA with measurable levels above limit of detection in more than 99% and 95% of the samples, respectively. The exposure patterns differed for the two chemicals in the three macro-areas with the highest urinary levels for DEHP in south compared to central and northern Italy and for BPA in northern compared to central and southern Italy. BPA levels were higher in women living in urban areas, whereas no difference between areas was observed for DEHP. The estimated daily intake of BPA was 0.11 μg/kg per day, about 36-fold below the current temporary tolerable daily intake of 4 μg/kg per day established by the EFSA in 2015. The analysis of cumulative exposure showed a positive correlation between DEHP and BPA. Further, the reduction of exposure to DEHP and BPA, through specific legislative measures, is necessary to limit the harmfulness of these substances.

Keywords: bisphenol A; di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; endocrine-disrupting chemicals; geographical area; human biomonitoring; women exposure.

Figure 1

Box plots for DEHP metabolites (panel (A)) and BPA levels (panel (B)) in urine samples of Italian women residing in the north, centre, and south of Italy. For BPA data, rural and urban areas are also considered. Data were normalized to urine creatinine concentration (µg/g). Two outlier values were excluded from the graph for a better visualization. Black lines and asterisks indicate statistical differences among macro-areas; red and green bars/asterisks indicate statistical differences between rural and urban areas in the centre and south of Italy, respectively. Asterisks indicate the level of significance: * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, and *** p < 0.001.