Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biothecnology, College of Life Science, Sejong University, Kwangjingu, Kunjadong, Seoul 143-747, Republic of Korea.
Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
Environ Res. 2019 May;172:10-17. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.02.001. Epub 2019 Feb 2.
Plastic products are closely intertwined with modern life. Some plasticizers used in making plastics, such as phthalates, are reported to be endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Plasticizers can be released into the environment, and health risks related to plasticizer exposure have been reported. In addition, due to plastic waste that flows into the ocean, microplastics have been found in marine products, including non-biological seawater products such as sea salt. Plastics can affect the body via a variety of pathways, and therefore safer alternative chemicals are needed. Three chemicals were evaluated: acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), triethyl 2-acetylcitrate (ATEC), and trihexyl O-acetylacitrate (ATHC), replacing bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), a typical plasticizer. The endocrine-disrupting activities of each chemical, including estrogenic or anti-estrogenic activity (test guideline (TG) No. 455), androgenic or anti-androgenic activity (TG No. 458), steroidogenesis (TG No. 456), and estrogenic properties via a short-term screening test using the uterotrophic assay (TG No. 440), were assessed in accordance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines for chemical testing. Our results showed that DEHP, ATBC, ATEC, ATHC possess no estrogenic activity, whereas DEHP, ATBC and ATHC demonstrate anti-estrogenic activity and ATBC anti-androgenic activity. DEHP and ATHC exhibited a disruption in steroidogenesis activities. Additional tests are necessary, but our results suggest that ATEC is a good candidate plasticizer providing a suitable alternative to DEHP.
塑料制品与现代生活紧密交织在一起。一些用于制造塑料的增塑剂，如邻苯二甲酸酯，据报道是内分泌干扰化学物质。增塑剂可能会释放到环境中，并且已经报告了与增塑剂暴露相关的健康风险。此外，由于流入海洋的塑料废物，已在海洋产品中发现了微塑料，包括非生物海水产品，如海盐。塑料可以通过多种途径影响人体，因此需要更安全的替代化学品。评估了三种化学品：乙酰基三丁基柠檬酸酯（ATBC）、三乙基 2-乙酰基柠檬酸酯（ATEC）和三己基 O-乙酰柠檬酸酯（ATHC），替代邻苯二甲酸二（2-乙基己基）酯（DEHP），这是一种典型的增塑剂。根据经济合作与发展组织（OECD）化学品测试指南，评估了每种化学品的内分泌干扰活性，包括雌激素或抗雌激素活性（测试指南（TG）No.455）、雄激素或抗雄激素活性（TG No.458）、类固醇生成（TG No.456）和短期筛选测试中的雌激素特性使用子宫增重测定法（TG No.440）。我们的结果表明，DEHP、ATBC、ATEC 和 ATHC 没有雌激素活性，而 DEHP、ATBC 和 ATHC 表现出抗雌激素活性和 ATBC 抗雄激素活性。DEHP 和 ATHC 表现出类固醇生成活性的破坏。还需要进行其他测试，但我们的结果表明，ATEC 是一种良好的候选增塑剂，为替代 DEHP 提供了合适的选择。
