Aug 2026· Journal of Applied Toxicology· 0 citations· 47 references
Medicine
TL;DR
It is revealed that maternal exposure to OPEs in e-waste recycling areas contributes to increased neonatal birth weight and length, which may elevate the risk of overweight or obesity during later growth.
Abstract
Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are environmental contaminants widely released during electronic waste dismantling and pose potential threats to human health. Compared to adults, fetuses have weaker detoxification capabilities, making them more susceptible to the effects of these pollutants. This study aims to investigate how prenatal OPE exposure relates to neonatal birth outcomes in a Chinese e-waste recycling area. We collected blood samples from 183 pregnant women during late pregnancy and measured the concentrations of 13 OPEs in these samples using programmed-temperature vaporization gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PTV-GC/MS). Linear regression analysis was employed to examine the association between seven OPEs and neonatal birth outcomes. Additionally, we utilized the quantile g-computation model to evaluate the effects of mixed exposure to multiple OPEs on birth outcomes. The concentrations of triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) in maternal blood were positively correlated with birth weight (β = 30.38; 95% CI [2.56, 58.20]). The concentrations of 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) and TPHP in maternal blood were positively correlated with birth length (β = 0.05; 95% CI [0.01, 0.09]; β = 0.04; 95% CI [0.01, 0.08]). Furthermore, our quantile g-computation analysis showed that mixed exposure to contaminants was associated with increased birth length (β = 0.25; 95% CI [0.02, 0.47]), and the weight distribution plot indicated that EHDPP and TPHP were the major contributors to the observed increase in birth length. This study revealed that maternal exposure to OPEs in e-waste recycling areas contributes to increased neonatal birth weight and length, which may elevate the risk of overweight or obesity during later growth.
It is suggested that prenatal OPEs have sex- and trimester-specific effects on the risk of small vulnerable newborns, suggesting that prenatal OPEs have sex- and trimester-specific effects on the risk of small vulnerable newborns.
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Long-term exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) has been linked to preterm birth (PTB), yet evidence from China remains limited. This study included 4,321,599 live singleton births from the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project between 2010 and 2015. Prenatal BTEX exposure was estimated using a chemistry-climate model. Multivariate linear regression and logistic regression models were applied to examine associations of BTEX exposure with gestational age and PTB risk, respectively. For the entire pregnancy, each interquartile range (IQR, 11.6 μg/m3) increase in BTEX exposure was associated with a reduction of 0.138 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.133-0.142) weeks in gestational age and a 23% (odds ratio [OR]: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.22-1.24) increase in PTB risk. Among individual components, IQR increases in benzene, toluene, and xylenes concentrations were associated with 21% (95% CI: 20-22%), 25% (95% CI: 24-26%), and 20% (95% CI: 19-21%) higher odds of PTB, respectively. The strongest associations were observed for exposures during the third trimester for both BTEX (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.26-1.28) and individual components (benzene: OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.24-1.26; toluene: OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.28-1.30; and xylenes: OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.24-1.26). Subgroup analyses indicated that the associations were more pronounced among male fetuses, mothers who were overweight or obese, engaged in farming, or had lower educational attainment. Prenatal BTEX exposure was significantly associated with an elevated risk of PTB, emphasizing the potential adverse effects of BTEX pollution on maternal and infant health.
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