Occupational Hazards and Risks Associated with Phthalates among Slovakian Firefighters

Branislav Kolena, Ida Petrovičová, Miroslava Šidlovská, Henrieta Hlisníková, Lenka Bystričanová, Soňa Wimmerová and Tomáš Trnovec
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Branislav Kolena: Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia
Ida Petrovičová: Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia
Miroslava Šidlovská: Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia
Henrieta Hlisníková: Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia
Lenka Bystričanová: Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia
Soňa Wimmerová: Institute of Biophysics, Informatics and Biostatistics, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, 833 03 Bratislava, Slovakia
Tomáš Trnovec: Department of Environmental Medicine, Slovak Medical University, 833 03 Bratislava, Slovakia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Despite increasing attention to the occupational risk of firefighters, little is known about phthalate exposure. In our study, we detected mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-n-buthyl phthalate (MnBP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (5cx-MECPP), and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (5oxo-MEHP) in each urine sample. We detected positive association between MnBP, MiBP, mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), 5OH-MEHP, 5oxo-MEHP, 5cx-MECPP, mono-isononyl phthalate (MiNP), the sum of low (∑LMWP) and high molecular-weight phthalates (∑HMWP). and Tiffeneau–Pinelli index (the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1/ forced vital capacity; FEV 1 /FVC; p = 0.001−0.04) and the percent predicted value (%PV) of FEV 1 /FVC ( p = 0.005−0.05) and negative association between MiNP and peak expiratory flow (PEF; r = −0.31; p = 0.084). We observed a positive association between phthalate metabolites (MnBP, 5OH-MEHP, 5oxo-MEHP, 5cx-MECPP, 2cx-MMHP, ∑LMWP, and ∑HMWP) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR; p = 0.003−0.09) and body shape index (ABSI; p = 0.039−0.09) and a negative association between MnBP, ∑LMWP, and hip circumference ( p = 0.005−0.02). We detected association between concentrations of 5OH-MEHP, 5cx-MECPP, 5oxo-MEHP, and MnBP and consumption of food heating in plastic material in microwave ( p = 0.02−0.04) and between probands who ate margarines and vegetable fat packed in plastic containers and concentration of MMP ( p = 0.03). Results of multivariate regression indicated that exposure to phthalates could be linked with changing body structure, which subsequently affects values of pulmonary functions in firefighters.

Keywords: phthalate exposure; firefighters; biomonitoring; health; occupational (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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