Children's exposure to bisphenols, phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers in Poland

Background and aim: Bisphenols, phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers are a group of chemical compounds widely used in the industry, e.g., in the production of plastics, and as precursor of epoxy resins. Some of them may affect the hormonal balance in both children and adults. This study aims to determine the urinary concentrations of bisphenols and metabolites of phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers in children from Poland, estimate their daily intakes and cumulative risk assessment, and examine the main factors of exposure. Methods: A total of 400 urine samples of 7 year-old children from the Polish Mother and Child Cohort (REPRO_PL) were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography with online sample clean-up coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (online-SPE-LC-MS/MS). Daily intakes from each compound were calculated based on urinary excretion rates, specific Fue values for each compound and children's body weights. Results: The main compounds were ΣDEHP, ΣDnBP, MEP and ΣDEHTP, quantifiable in all samples at median concentrations of 69.5 μg/l, 58.2 μg/l, 42 μg/l and 35.4 μg/l, respectively. BPA accounted for the majority of bisphenols exposure (64%), although around 20% of the children had quantifiable concentrations of BPF and BPS. Certain socio-demographic and life-style characterisitcs were found to have a positive trend with the concentrations of the aforementioned compounds. The individual and cumulative risk assessment of exposure to the studied compounds confirmed that children in Poland are still broadly exposed to several phthalates, bisphenols and non-phthalate plasticizers. Daily intakes and hazard index calculations revealed that a small percentage of children (around 3-10%) exceeded the tolerable daily intakes established by international institutions in relation to phthalates. Conclusions: Further studies are required in order to recognize other compounds used as phthalates and BPA replacements, and their exposures among critical life stages such as pregnant women and children.