Exposure and Biomonitoring Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Environ Int. 2022 Aug;166:107402. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107402. Epub 2022 Jul 9.
Exposure to organophosphate esters (OPEs) is extensive, yet few studies have investigated their association with hormone levels or semen quality. Here, we studied the association between urinary concentrations of OPEs and their metabolites with hormone levels and semen parameters in men (n = 117) predominantly in the 20-29 years age range who were recruited from the greater Montreal area between 2009 and 2012. Urine, serum, and semen samples were analyzed for OPEs, hormones, and semen quality, respectively. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (BEHP), bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) hydrogen phosphate (B2,4DtBPP), tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), bis (2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (BBOEP) and di-cresyl phosphate (DCPs) were detected in urine at a frequency ≥ 95%. The highest geometric mean concentration was observed for DPHP (18.54 ng/mL) and the second highest was B2,4DtBPP (6.23 ng/mL). Associations between a doubling in analyte concentrations in urine and hormone levels and semen quality parameters were estimated using multivariable linear regression. B2,4DtBPP levels were positively associated with total T3 (β = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.17). DPHP was inversely associated with estradiol (β = -2.56; 95% CI: -5.00, -0.17), and TCIPP was inversely associated with testosterone (β = -0.78; 95% CI: -1.40, -0.17). Concentrations of BCIPP were inversely associated with sperm concentrations (β = -7.76; 95% CI: -14.40, -0.61), progressive motility (β = - 4.98; 95% CI: -8.71, -1.09), and the sperm motility index (β = -9.72; 95% CI: -17.71, -0.96). In contrast, urinary DPHP concentrations were positively associated with the sperm motility (β = 4.37; 95% CI: 0.76, 8.12) and fertility indices (β = 6.64; 95% CI: 1.96, 11.53). Thus, OPE detection rates were high and exposure to several OPEs was associated with altered hormone levels and semen parameters. The possibility that OPEs affect male reproduction warrants further investigation.
接触有机磷酸酯 (OPEs) 非常普遍，但很少有研究调查它们与激素水平或精液质量之间的关系。在这里，我们研究了 2009 年至 2012 年间在大蒙特利尔地区招募的主要年龄在 20-29 岁之间的男性尿液中 OPEs 及其代谢物浓度与激素水平和精液参数之间的关系。尿液、血清和精液样本分别用于分析 OPEs、激素和精液质量。在尿液中以频率≥95%检测到双（2-乙基己基）磷酸酯（BEHP）、双（2,4-二特丁基苯基）磷酸酯（B2,4DtBPP）、磷酸三（2-氯异丙基）酯（TCIPP）、磷酸二苯酯（DPHP）、双（2-丁氧基乙基）磷酸酯（BBOEP）和二（2-仲丁基苯基）磷酸酯（DCPs）。检测到的最高几何平均浓度为 DPHP（18.54ng/mL），第二高的是 B2,4DtBPP（6.23ng/mL）。使用多变量线性回归估计尿液中分析物浓度加倍与激素水平和精液质量参数之间的关联。B2,4DtBPP 水平与总 T3 呈正相关（β=0.09；95%CI：0.01，0.17）。DPHP 与雌二醇呈负相关（β=-2.56；95%CI：-5.00，-0.17），TCIPP 与睾酮呈负相关（β=-0.78；95%CI：-1.40，-0.17）。BCIPP 浓度与精子浓度（β=-7.76；95%CI：-14.40，-0.61）、前向运动精子（β=-4.98；95%CI：-8.71，-1.09）和精子运动指数（β=-9.72；95%CI：-17.71，-0.96）呈负相关。相比之下，尿液 DPHP 浓度与精子活力（β=4.37；95%CI：0.76，8.12）和生育指数（β=6.64；95%CI：1.96，11.53）呈正相关。因此，OPE 的检出率很高，接触几种 OPEs 与激素水平和精液参数的改变有关。OPEs 影响男性生殖的可能性需要进一步研究。
