Gestational exposure to phthalates is associated with reduced lung function during childhood, according to a study published in Environmental Pollution. Magda Bosch de Basea, PhD, and colleagues measured nine phthalate metabolites (MEP, MiBP, MnBP, MCMHP, MBzP, MEHHP, MEOHP, MECPP, and MEHP) in the urine of 641 gestating women and measured the FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC in their offspring at ages 4, 7, 9, and 11. A consistent association existed for phthalate metabolite gestational levels with lower FVC and FEV1 at all ages when assessed separately and together as a mixture; however, most associations were not statistically significant. There was an association for a 10% increase in MiBP with lower FVC and FEV1 z-scores (-0.02 and -0.02) at age 4. An increase in MEP and MnBP was associated with similar significant reductions in FVC at ages 4 and 7, and an increase in MBzP was associated with lower FEV1 at age 4. MBzP was identified as an important contributor to the phthalate mixture effect.
