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Organophosphorus Flame Retardants and Plasticizers in Breast Milk from the United States
journal contribution
posted on 2019-08-20, 12:08 authored by Jing Ma, Hongkai Zhu, Kurunthachalam KannanOrganophosphate
esters (OPEs) are used in consumer products as
flame retardants and plasticizers. Little is known, however, about
the occurrence and profiles of OPEs in human milk. In this study,
14 OPEs were measured in 100 breast milk samples collected from the
United States during the period of 2009–2012, using high-performance
liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The sum concentrations
of 14 OPEs in human milk ranged from 0.670 to 7.83 ng/mL, with a mean
value of 3.61 ng/mL. The highest mean concentration was found for
tris-2-butoxyethyl phosphate (TBOEP, 1.44 ± 0.789 ng/mL), followed
by tri-iso-butyl phosphate (TIBP, 0.569 ± 0.272 ng/mL) and tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP, 0.539 ± 0.265 ng/mL), which
were the dominant OPEs found in breast milk at detection frequencies
of >80%. No significant differences were observed between various
maternal/infant characteristics and OPE concentrations (p > 0.05), except for TBOEP, for which the median concentrations
in
Hispanic mothers (0.765 ng/mL) were 2 times lower than those in non-Hispanic
mothers (1.48 ng/mL) (p < 0.05). On the basis
of the recommended daily milk ingestion rate, the average and the
highest daily intakes of total OPEs were calculated to be in the range
of 300–542 and 504–911 ng (kg of body weight)−1 day–1, respectively. The estimated daily intakes
of OPEs did not exceed the current reference doses. Our study establishes
baseline data for OPE exposure in breast-fed American children.