Phthalates (diesters of phthalic acid) are widely used as plasticizers and additives in many consumer products. Laboratory animal studies have reported the endocrine-disrupting and reproductive effects of phthalates, and human exposure to this class of chemicals is a concern. Several phthalates have been recognized as substances of high concern. Human exposure to phthalates occurs mainly via dietary sources, dermal absorption, and air inhalation. Phthalates are excreted as conjugated monoesters in urine, and some phthalates, such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), undergo secondary metabolism, including oxidative transformation, prior to urinary excretion. The occurrence of phthalates and their metabolites in urine, serum, breast milk, and semen has been widely reported. Urine has been the preferred matrix in human biomonitoring studies, and concentrations on the order of several tens to hundreds of nanograms per milliliter have been reported for several phthalate metabolites. Metabolites of diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl- (DBP) and diisobutyl- (DiBP) phthalates, and DEHP were the most abundant compounds measured in urine. Temporal trends in phthalate exposures varied among countries. In the United States (US), DEHP exposure has declined since 2005, whereas DiNP exposure has increased. In China, DEHP exposure has increased since 2000. For many phthalates, exposures in children are higher than those in adults. Human epidemiological studies have shown a significant association between phthalate exposures and adverse reproductive outcomes in women and men, type II diabetes and insulin resistance, overweight/obesity, allergy, and asthma. This review compiles biomonitoring studies of phthalates and exposure doses to assess health risks from phthalate exposures in populations across the globe.

https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/7/2/21/pdf

A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures

Soil contamination and sources of phthalates and its health risk in China: A review.

Wildlife has often presented and suggested the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Animal studies have given us an important opportunity to understand the mechanisms of action of many chemicals on the endocrine system and on neurodevelopment and behaviour, and to evaluate the effects of doses, time and duration of exposure. Although results are sometimes conflicting because of confounding factors, epidemiological studies in humans suggest effects of EDCs on prenatal growth, thyroid function, glucose metabolism and obesity, puberty, fertility, and on carcinogenesis mainly through epigenetic mechanisms. This manuscript reviews the reports of a multidisciplinary national meeting on this topic.

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/6/1647/pdf/1

Current Knowledge on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) from Animal Biology to Humans, from Pregnancy to Adulthood: Highlights from a National Italian Meeting

Global industrialization has increased population exposure to environmental toxins. A global decline in sperm quality over the last few decades raises questions about the adverse impact of environmental toxins on male reproductive health. Multiple animal- and human-based studies on exposure to environmental toxins suggest a negative impact on semen quality, in terms of sperm concentration, motility, and/or morphology. These toxins may exert estrogenic and/or anti-androgenic effects, which in turn alter the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA), induce sperm DNA damage, or cause sperm epigenetic changes. This chapter will discuss the most recent literature about the most common environmental toxins and their impact on spermatogenesis and its consequences on male fertility. Understanding the presence and underlying mechanism of these toxins will help us preserve the integrity of the male reproduction system and formulate better regulations against their indiscriminate use.

Environmental Toxins and Male Fertility.

Phthalate metabolites: Characterization, toxicities, global distribution, and exposure assessment.

Phthalate exposure, even below US EPA reference doses, was associated with semen quality and reproductive hormones: Prospective MARHCS study in general population.

Though the Lovibond colorimetric method is effective for determining oil colour, it is a visual comparison method which relies on manual visual reading. As a result, this method is vulnerable to the influence of subjective factors of testers and is of low accuracy. In this paper, the original index of oil colour grading based on Lovibond colour space is changed to the index of oil colour grading based on uniform colour space, and a new method is proposed to determine oil colour by spectrophotometry. The experimental results show that there is a strong correlation between Lovibond red value and the chroma index a*, and a strong correlation between Lovibond yellow value and the chroma index b*. So the method greatly improves the detection efficiency and avoids a series of disadvantages of the visual method.

Xiefei Shi

Papers

Phthalate exposure, even below US EPA reference doses, was associated with semen quality and reproductive hormones: Prospective MARHCS study in general population.

Experimental Study on Oil Colour Grading Based on Uniform Colour Space