posted on 2024-02-21, 19:08authored byJianhua Li, Yaxin Liu, Weikun Meng, Guanyong Su
Organophosphate diesters (di-OPEs), as additives in industrial
applications and/or transformation products of emerging environmental
pollutants, such as organophosphate triesters (tri-OPEs), have been
found in the environment and biological matrices. The metabolic fate
of di-OPEs in biological media is of great significance for tracing
the inherent and precursor toxicity variations. This is the first
study to investigate the metabolism of a suite of di-OPEs by liver
microsomes and to identify any metabolite of metabolizable di-OPEs
in in vitro and in vivo samples.
Of the 14 di-OPEs, 5 are significantly metabolizable, and their abundant
metabolites with hydroxyl, carboxyl, dealkylated, carbonyl, and/or
epoxide groups are tentatively identified. More than half of the di-OPEs
are detectable in human serum and/or wild fish tissues, and dibenzyl
phosphate (DBzP), bis(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate (BDBPP), and isopropyl
diphenyl phosphate (ip-DPHP) are first reported at a detectable level
in humans and wildlife. Using an in vitro assay and
a known biotransformation rule-based integrated screening strategy,
2 and 10 suspected metabolite peaks of DEHP are found in human serum
and wild fish samples, respectively, and are then identified as phase
I and phase II metabolites of DEHP. This study provides a novel insight
into fate and persistence of di-OPE and confirms the presence of di-OPE
metabolites in humans and wildlife.