Skip to main content
PMC home page
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 2004 Apr;112(5):571–574. doi: 10.1289/ehp.6564

Phthalate exposure and pulmonary function.

Jane A Hoppin 1, Ross Ulmer 1, Stephanie J London 1
PMCID: PMC1241923  PMID: 15064163

Abstract

Exposure to phthalates is widespread because of their use in plastics, cosmetics, and other consumer products. Phthalate exposure has been associated with adverse respiratory outcomes in children. With urinary phthalate measures, we assessed the association between phthalate exposure and four pulmonary function parameters [forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at 1 sec (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and maximum mid-expiratory flow] among the 240 adult Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) participants with urinary phthalate data. Linear regression models controlled for race, age, age squared, standing height, body mass index, cumulative smoking, and current smoking. Monobutyl phthalate (MBP) was significantly associated with decrements in three measures of pulmonary function (FVC, FEV1, PEF) in males but not in females. For a change from the 25th to the 75th percentile in MBP level among men, FEV1 decreased 112 mL (SE = 51, p = 0.03). Monoethyl phthalate (MEP) was associated with lower FVC and FEV1 values in men. Monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), the metabolite of the plasticizer commonly used in medical tubing, was not adversely associated with any of the pulmonary function parameters evaluated. Our results suggest that MBP and MEP, but not MEHP, may influence pulmonary function among adult males.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (89.9 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beach J. R., de Klerk N. H., Fritschi L., Sim M. R., Musk A. W., Benke G., Abramson M. J., McNeil J. J. Respiratory symptoms and lung function in bauxite miners. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2001 Sep;74(7):489–494. doi: 10.1007/s004200100245. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blount B. C., Milgram K. E., Silva M. J., Malek N. A., Reidy J. A., Needham L. L., Brock J. W. Quantitative detection of eight phthalate metabolites in human urine using HPLC-APCI-MS/MS. Anal Chem. 2000 Sep 1;72(17):4127–4134. doi: 10.1021/ac000422r. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blount B. C., Silva M. J., Caudill S. P., Needham L. L., Pirkle J. L., Sampson E. J., Lucier G. W., Jackson R. J., Brock J. W. Levels of seven urinary phthalate metabolites in a human reference population. Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Oct;108(10):979–982. doi: 10.1289/ehp.00108979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Eisner Mark D. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and pulmonary function among adults in NHANES III: impact on the general population and adults with current asthma. Environ Health Perspect. 2002 Aug;110(8):765–770. doi: 10.1289/ehp.02110765. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gardiner K., van Tongeren M., Harrington M. Respiratory health effects from exposure to carbon black: results of the phase 2 and 3 cross sectional studies in the European carbon black manufacturing industry. Occup Environ Med. 2001 Aug;58(8):496–503. doi: 10.1136/oem.58.8.496. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hollund B. E., Moen B. E., Lygre S. H., Florvaag E., Omenaas E. Prevalence of airway symptoms among hairdressers in Bergen, Norway. Occup Environ Med. 2001 Dec;58(12):780–785. doi: 10.1136/oem.58.12.780. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hoppin Jane A., Brock John W., Davis Barbara J., Baird Donna D. Reproducibility of urinary phthalate metabolites in first morning urine samples. Environ Health Perspect. 2002 May;110(5):515–518. doi: 10.1289/ehp.02110515. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Iwatsubo Y., Matrat M., Brochard P., Ameille J., Choudat D., Conso F., Coulondre D., Garnier R., Hubert C., Lauzier F. Healthy worker effect and changes in respiratory symptoms and lung function in hairdressing apprentices. Occup Environ Med. 2003 Nov;60(11):831–840. doi: 10.1136/oem.60.11.831. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Jaakkola J. J., Oie L., Nafstad P., Botten G., Samuelsen S. O., Magnus P. Interior surface materials in the home and the development of bronchial obstruction in young children in Oslo, Norway. Am J Public Health. 1999 Feb;89(2):188–192. doi: 10.2105/ajph.89.2.188. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jaakkola J. J., Verkasalo P. K., Jaakkola N. Plastic wall materials in the home and respiratory health in young children. Am J Public Health. 2000 May;90(5):797–799. doi: 10.2105/ajph.90.5.797. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Latini G., Avery G. B. Materials degradation in endotracheal tubes: a potential contributor to bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Acta Paediatr. 1999 Oct;88(10):1174–1175. doi: 10.1080/08035259950168333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Oie L., Hersoug L. G., Madsen J. O. Residential exposure to plasticizers and its possible role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Environ Health Perspect. 1997 Sep;105(9):972–978. doi: 10.1289/ehp.97105972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ponsonby Anne-Louise, Dwyer Terence, Kemp Andrew, Cochrane Jennifer, Couper David, Carmichael Allan. Synthetic bedding and wheeze in childhood. Epidemiology. 2003 Jan;14(1):37–44. doi: 10.1097/00001648-200301000-00012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rudel R. A., Brody J. G., Spengler J. D., Vallarino J., Geno P. W., Sun G., Yau A. Identification of selected hormonally active agents and animal mammary carcinogens in commercial and residential air and dust samples. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2001 Apr;51(4):499–513. doi: 10.1080/10473289.2001.10464292. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rudel Ruthann A., Camann David E., Spengler John D., Korn Leo R., Brody Julia G. Phthalates, alkylphenols, pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and other endocrine-disrupting compounds in indoor air and dust. Environ Sci Technol. 2003 Oct 15;37(20):4543–4553. doi: 10.1021/es0264596. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tickner J. A., Schettler T., Guidotti T., McCally M., Rossi M. Health risks posed by use of Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in PVC medical devices: a critical review. Am J Ind Med. 2001 Jan;39(1):100–111. doi: 10.1002/1097-0274(200101)39:1<100::aid-ajim10>3.0.co;2-q. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Ulvestad B., Bakke B., Melbostad E., Fuglerud P., Kongerud J., Lund M. B. Increased risk of obstructive pulmonary disease in tunnel workers. Thorax. 2000 Apr;55(4):277–282. doi: 10.1136/thorax.55.4.277. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wang X-R, Pan L-D, Zhang H-X, Sun B-X, Dai H-L, Christiani D. C. A longitudinal observation of early pulmonary responses to cotton dust. Occup Environ Med. 2003 Feb;60(2):115–121. doi: 10.1136/oem.60.2.115. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES