The risk and impact of organophosphate esters on the development of female-specific cancers: Comparative analysis of patients with benign and malignant tumors

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 404; no. Pt B; p. 124020
• Main Authors: Liu, Yanhua, Li, Yang, Dong, Shanshan, Han, Lu, Guo, Ruixin, Fu, Yourong, Zhang, Shenghu, Chen, Jianqiu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.02.2021
• Subjects: China; Endocrine Disruptors; Environmental Monitoring; Esters; Exposure risk; Female; Female-specific tumors; Female’s disease; Flame Retardants - analysis; Humans; Neoplasms - chemically induced; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Organophosphate esters; Organophosphates - toxicity; China; Organophosphate esters; Exposure risk; Female’s disease; Endocrine Disruptors; Female-specific tumors
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124020

Environmental pollution has become a concern for public health. As endocrine disruptors, organophosphate esters (OPEs) causes many diseases via human exposure. However, there is limited research on the risk of OPE exposure to female-specific cancers. Blood measurements are biomarkers for chemical exposures by their definition. Thus, in the present study, 11 OPEs were analyzed in the plasma of patients with 4 female-specific tumors. 2-Ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) was detected at the highest levels in all groups. The Spearman correlation test results showed significantly positive correlations between some OPEs in each group, which indicated that those OPEs had similar sources and/or behaved similarly in the patients of each group. However, compared with different patient groups, obvious differences in the correlation results were noted, implying the differences in the metabolism of OPEs between different groups. The results of the correlation analysis showed that EHDPP concentration was associated with the risk of breast cancer (p < 0.05), while tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP), tris (methylphenyl) phosphate (TMPP), triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), and EHDPP concentrations were associated with the risk of cervical cancer (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). These findings indicated that OPEs were associated with the risk of breast and cervical cancer. [Display omitted] •The association between OPEs exposure and female-specific cancers were studied.•EHDPP was detected at the highest levels in all groups.•EHDPP exposure was associated with the risk of breast cancer.•TNBP, TPHP, TMPP and EHDPP exposure were associated with cervical cancer risk.