Abstract  Poplar engineering biocomposites is a new engineering materials. In order to evaluate its potential environmental risk to human, the volatile organic compounds of poplar engineering biocomposites were adsorbed and determined by TD-GC-MS. The result were: (1) The main constituents of volatiles at 40 degrees C: were bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2 -one, 1.7,7- trimethyl-, (1r)-(31.55%), 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid. mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester (14.94%). 2,6,10,14,18,22-tetracosahexaene, 2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyl-(7.34%), [1,1':3',1 ''-terphenyl]-2'-ol(5.97%). cedrol (5.29%), caryophyllenc(5.26%), 3-[(1z)-1,3-butaclienyl]-4- vinylcyc lopentene(3.92%), etc. (2) The main constituents of volatiles at 60 C were 1,2- benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester(17.13%). [1,1':3',1 ''-terphenyl]-2'-ol (9.11%), camphor(8.6%), 4-imidazolidinone. 5-(phenylmethyl)-2-thioxo- (7.6%), cedrol(7.26%), 2,5 -cyclohexadiene-1,4-dione, 2,5-diphenyl-(4.58%), 1h-indole, 5-methyl- 2-phenyl-(3.94%), 2,6.10.14.18.22-tetracosahexaene. 2.6.10.15.19,23-hexamethyl- (3.63%), phenol,2,4-bis(1,1- dimethylethyl) (3.56%), etc. So the poplar engineering biocomposites was safe under 40-60 degrees C.

Abstract  A GC/MS method was developed for the identification and quantification of 14 phthalates: 8 phthalates classified H360 (DBP, DEHP, BBP, DMEP, DnPP, DiPP, DPP and DiBP), 3 phthalates proposed to be forbidden in medical devices (DnOP, DiNP and DiDP) and 3 other phthalates none regulated (DMP, DCHP and DEP) which may interfere with hormone function. In order to identify and quantify other plasticizers that are commonly used in PVC medical devices such as DEHP substitute, 5 non-phthalate plasticizers (ATBC, DEHA, DEHT, TOTM, and DINCH) were included in this study. Analyses are carried out on a GC/MS system with electron impact ionization mode (EI). The separation of plasticizers is obtained on a cross-linked 5%-phenyl/95%-dimethylpolysiloxane capillary column 30m×0.25mm (i.d.)×0.25μm film thickness using a gradient temperature. Compounds quantification is performed by external calibration using an internal standard. Validation elements on standard solutions were determined using the ISO 12787 standard approach. Plasticizers are extracted from PVC medical devices using THF for dissolving the PVC part of the sample followed by precipitation of the PVC by addition of ethanol. The supernatant is injected into a GC/MS system after dilution in ethanol. Different validation elements, including extraction recoveries for all compounds or for DEHP a cross-validation of the extraction process using the European pharmacopoeia monograph 3.1.14 as reference method, are discussed. Results obtained on 61 medical devices in PVC and 12 raw materials used as plasticizers are given.

Abstract  in their 10th or 11th years, while others who are equally healthy may not experience menarche until they 'are 14, 15, or even older. Menarche is, however, only a single event in the combination of physical changes which constitute puberty. The adolescent growth spurt, the development of the breasts, and the growth of the pubic hair occur more or less concurrently, and take, on the average, about 3 years from beginning to completion, with menarche occurring usually in the latter half of this period (Tanner, 1962). At present we lack detailed information about the rate at which girls progress through the stages of puberty and about the relation of one event to another. Only longitudinal studies (i.e. studies in which the same individuals are examined repeatedly over a period of time) can provide this information, which would be helpful both to the clinician in distinguishing the normal from the abnormal, and to the neuro-endocrinologist in constructing hypotheses about the mechanisms by which puberty is controlled. Present knowledge is based on studies carried out on small numbers of children in the United States a generation ago, together with some German studies of a similar period (for literature see Tanner, 1962).

Abstract  The Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, Updated Tables, September 2013 provides nationally representative biomonitoring data that has become available since the publication of the Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, 2009. The Updated Tables, September 2013 includes all the updates previously provided in Updated Tables, July 2010 through Updated Tables, March 2013. The Updated Tables, September 2013 present data for 91 chemicals measured in serum pooled samples that have not been reported in any previous Updated Tables. Since publication of the Fourth Report, 2009, 201 chemicals have updated tables and 49 chemicals have been added, for a total of 250 chemicals presented in these Updated Tables.

Abstract  A major incident of phthalate-contaminated foodstuffs happened in Taiwan between April and July, 2011. Phthalates were deliberately added to foodstuffs as a substitute of emulsifier. We describe the course of this incident, government response and management of the crisis, and its future implications. Five major food categories, including sports drinks, fruit beverages, tea drinks, fruit jam or jelly, and health food or supplements in tablet or powder form, were contaminated with Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and/or Di-isononyl phthalate. At least 900 different food products were affected. Like the scandal of melamine-tainted infant formula, this event represents another large deliberate food contamination incident. It is important to be reminded that many governments in developing countries make rapid economic growth as their first priority, often compromising environmental safety and public health. The administration leaders need to find a balance between economic expansion and health and environmental safety.

Abstract  A recent food safety issue involves the contamination of a broad range of food and nutraceutical products from Taiwan with industrial plasticizers. Among the suspected contaminants are selected phthalic acid esters, such as benzyl butyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate, diisononyl phthalate, and diisodecyl phthalate. Described in this study is an analytical method to rapidly qualitatively analyze these compounds in a wide variety of food and nutraceutical matrices suspected in this crisis. The method utilizes direct analysis in real time (DART) ionization coupled to a Thermo Exactive orbitrap mass spectrometer. The method is shown to be capable of detecting these compounds at levels greater than 1.0 mu g/mL in all food products examined and 0.5 mu g/mL in most of the samples tested. In the nutraceutical samples tested, the compounds were detected at levels of 50 mu g/g for all samples with some detected as low as 1.0 mu g/g. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Abstract  A method based on liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and automated large volume injection (LVI)GC-MS analysis was developed for the trace determination of phthalate di-esters in water samples at sub-mu g L-1 (ppb) levels. Strategies applied to reduce contamination include (i) careful selection of tools, glassware and solvents, (ii) systematic blank checks of the chromatographic system, glassware and solvents and (iii) frequent verifications of blanks during sequences. Background levels could be reduced to those present in the extraction solvent. For phthalates not present in the extraction solvent the limits of quantitation (LOQ) are 6 ng L-1 for di-methyl phthalate (DMP), 3 ng L-1 for benzylbutyl phthalate (BzBP) and 45 ng L-1 for the isomeric phthalate mixtures di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP) and di-isodecyl phthalate (DOP). For the other phthalates, the LOQ was set at twice the blank (extraction solvent) level and are 20 ng L-1 for di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), 60 ng L-1 for di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP), 80 ng L-1 for di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and 30 ng L-1 for bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).

Abstract  The ability of diisononyl phthalate to induce morphological transformation was evaluated in the Balb/3T3 mouse cell line (Cells Transformation Assay). Based on preliminary toxicity determinations (exposure time = 24hrs), diisononyl phthalate, diluted with acetone, was tested at concentrations of 3 x 10(-2), 0.1, 0.3 or 1ul/ml, resulting in 95% to 76% relative survival. None of the treatments produced significantly greater transformation frequencies (p 0.05) relative to the negative control (acetone).

Abstract  Temporal genomic profiling and whole-cell proteomic analyses were performed to characterize the dynamic molecular response of the metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 to an acute chromate shock. The complex dynamics of cellular processes demand the integration of methodologies that describe biological systems at the levels of regulation, gene and protein expression, and metabolite production. Genomic microarray analysis of the transcriptome dynamics of midexponential phase cells subjected to 1 mm potassium chromate (K(2)CrO(4)) at exposure time intervals of 5, 30, 60, and 90 min revealed 910 genes that were differentially expressed at one or more time points. Strongly induced genes included those encoding components of a TonB1 iron transport system (tonB1-exbB1-exbD1), hemin ATP-binding cassette transporters (hmuTUV), TonB-dependent receptors as well as sulfate transporters (cysP, cysW-2, and cysA-2), and enzymes involved in assimilative sulfur metabolism (cysC, cysN, cysD, cysH, cysI, and cysJ). Transcript levels for genes with annotated functions in DNA repair (lexA, recX, recA, recN, dinP, and umuD), cellular detoxification (so1756, so3585, and so3586), and two-component signal transduction systems (so2426) were also significantly up-regulated (p < 0.05) in Cr(VI)-exposed cells relative to untreated cells. By contrast, genes with functions linked to energy metabolism, particularly electron transport (e.g. so0902-03-04, mtrA, omcA, and omcB), showed dramatic temporal alterations in expression with the majority exhibiting repression. Differential proteomics based on multidimensional HPLC-MS/MS was used to complement the transcriptome data, resulting in comparable induction and repression patterns for a subset of corresponding proteins. In total, expression of 2,370 proteins were confidently verified with 624 (26%) of these annotated as hypothetical or conserved hypothetical proteins. The initial response of S. oneidensis to chromate shock appears to require a combination of different regulatory networks that involve genes with annotated functions in oxidative stress protection, detoxification, protein stress protection, iron and sulfur acquisition, and SOS-controlled DNA repair mechanisms.

Abstract  Some phthalates are developmental and reproductive toxicants in animals. Exposure to phthalates is considered to be potentially harmful to human health as well. Based on a comprehensive literature research, we present an overview of the sources of human phthalate exposure and results of exposure assessments with special focus on human biomonitoring data. Among the general population, there is widespread exposure to a number of phthalates. Foodstuff is the major source of phthalate exposure, particularly for the long-chain phthalates such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. For short-chain phthalates such as di-n-butyl-phthalate, additional pathways are of relevance. In general, children are exposed to higher phthalate doses than adults. Especially, high exposures can occur through some medications or medical devices. By comparing exposure data with existing limit values, one can also assess the risks associated with exposure to phthalates. Within the general population, some individuals exceed tolerable daily intake values for one or more phthalates. In high exposure groups, (intensive medical care, medications) tolerable daily intake transgressions can be substantial. Recent findings from animal studies suggest that a cumulative risk assessment for phthalates is warranted, and a cumulative exposure assessment to phthalates via human biomonitoring is a major step into this direction.

Abstract  The effects of the peroxisome proliferators di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) were evaluated in young adult male cynomolgus monkeys after 14 days of treatment, with emphasis on detecting hepatic and other effects seen in rats and mice after treatment with high doses of phthalates. Groups of 4 monkeys received DINP (500 mg/kg/day), DEHP (500 mg/kg/day), or vehicle (0.5% methyl cellulose, 10 ml/kg) by intragastric intubation for 14 consecutive days. Clofibrate (250 mg/kg/day), a hypolipidemic drug used for cholesterol reduction in human patients was used as a reference substance. None of the test substances had any effect on body weight or liver weights. Histopathological examination of tissues from these animals revealed no distinctive treatment-related effects in the liver, kidney, or testes. There were also no changes in any of the hepatic markers for peroxisomal proliferation, including peroxisomal beta-oxidation (PBOX) or replicative DNA synthesis. Additionally, in situ dye transfer studies using fresh liver slices revealed that DINP, DEHP, and clofibrate had no effect on gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). None of the test substances produced any toxicologically important changes in urinalysis, hematology, or clinical chemistry; however, clofibrate produced some emesis, small increases in serum triglyceride, decreased calcium, and decreased weights of testes/epididymides and thyroid/parathyroid. The toxicological significance of these small changes is questionable. The absence of observable hepatic effects in monkeys at doses that produce hepatic effects in rodents suggests that DINP, DEHP, and clofibrate would also not elicit in primates other effects such as liver cancer. These data, along with results from in vitro hepatocyte studies, indicate that rodents are not good animal models for predicting the hepatic effects of phthalates in primates, including humans.

Abstract  BACKGROUND: Exposure to endocrine disruptors (EDs), including some phthalates, phytoestrogens and phenols can be quantified using biomarkers of exposure. However, reliability in the use of these biomarkers requires an understanding of the timeframe of exposure represented by one measurement. Data on the temporal variability of ED biomarkers are sparse, especially among children. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate intraindividual temporal variability in 19 individual urinary biomarkers (eight phthalate metabolites from six phthalate diesters, six phytoestrogens (two lignans and four isoflavones) and five phenols) among New York City children. METHODS: Healthy Hispanic and Black children (N=35; 6-10 years old) donated several urine samples over 6 months. To assess temporal variability we used three statistical methods: intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Spearman correlation coefficients (SCC) between concentrations measured at different timepoints, and surrogate category analysis to determine how well the tertile categories based on a single measurement represented a 6-month average concentration. RESULTS: Surrogate category analysis indicated that a single sample provides reliable ranking for all analytes; at least three of four surrogate samples predicted the 6-month mean concentration. Of the 19 analytes, the ICC was >0.2 for 18 analytes and >0.3 for 10 analytes. Correlations among sample concentrations throughout the 6-month period were observed for all analytes; 14 analyte concentrations were correlated at 16 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The reasonable degree of temporal reliability and the wide range of concentrations of phthalate metabolites, phytoestrogens and phenols suggest that these biomarkers are appropriate for use in epidemiologic studies of environmental exposures in relation to health outcomes in children.

Abstract  The ongoing health debate about polymer plasticizers based on the esters of phthalic acid, especially di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), has caused a trend towards using phthalates of lower volatility such as diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and towards other acid esters, such as adipates, terephthalates, citrates, etc. Probably the most important of these so-called "alternative" plasticizers is diisononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH). In the indoor environment, the continuously growing market share of this compound since its launch in 2002 is inter alia apparent from the increasing concentration of DINCH in settled house dust. From the epidemiological point of view there is considerable interest in identifying how semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) distribute in the indoor environment, especially in air, airborne particles and sedimented house dust. This, however, requires reliable experimental concentration data for the different media and good measurements or estimates of their physical and chemical properties. This paper reports on air concentrations for DINP, DINCH, diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), diisobutyl adipate (DIBA), diisobutyl succinate (DIBS) and diisobutyl glutarate (DIBG) from emission studies in the Field and Laboratory Emission Cell (FLEC). For DINP and DINCH it took about 50 days to reach the steady-state value: for four months no decay in the concentration could be observed. Moreover, vapor pressures p(0) and octanol-air partitioning coefficients K(OA) were obtained for 37 phthalate and non-phthalate plasticizers from two different algorithms: EPI Suite and SPARC. It is shown that calculated gas/particle partition coefficients K(p) and fractions can widely differ due to the uncertainty in the predicted p(0) and K(OA) values. For most of the investigated compounds reliable experimental vapor pressures are not available. Rough estimates can be obtained from the measured emission rate of the pure compound in a microchamber as is shown for di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate(DEHA), tri(octyl) trimellitate (TOTM) and DEHP.

Abstract  Several phthalate esters have been linked to the Phthalate Syndrome, affecting male reproductive development when administered to pregnant rats during in utero sexual differentiation. The goal of the current study was to enhance understanding of this class of compounds in the Sprague Dawley (SD) fetal rat following exposure on gestational days (GDs) 14-18 by determining the relative potency factors for several phthalates on fetal testes endpoints, the effects of a nine phthalate mixture on fetal testosterone (T) production, and differences in SD and Wistar (W) strain responses of fetal T production and testicular gene expression to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). We determined that diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and diisoheptyl phthalate (DIHP) reduced fetal testicular T production with similar potency to DEHP, whereas diisononyl phthalate (DINP) was 2.3-fold less potent. DINP was also less potent at reducing StAR and Cyp11a gene expression levels, whereas DIBP was slightly more potent than DEHP. We observed that administration of dilutions of a mixture of nine phthalates (DEHP, DIHP, DIBP, dibutyl-, benzyl butyl-, dicyclohexyl-, diheptyl-, dihexyl-, and dipentyl phthalate) reduced fetal T production in a dose-dependent manner best predicted by dose addition. Finally, we found that the differential effects of in utero DEHP treatment on epididymal and gubernacular differentiation in male SD and W rats (0, 100, 300, 500, 625, 750, or 875 mg DEHP/kg/day) are likely due to tissue-specific strain differences in the androgen and insl3 signaling pathways rather than differential effects of DEHP on fetal testis T and insl3 production.

Abstract  PESTAB. A characterization of the organics found at the air-water interface of Lake Pontchartrain is described. Three separate samples were collected, one each month, during the spring of 1976 from the surface of Lake Pontchartrain. An aluminum backed teflon disc was employed for sample collection. The residues collected were fractionated by using a silica gel column. The alkanes were eluted with 59 ml of n-hexane, and then the more polar compounds were eluted with 50 ml of benzene. Each of these fractions were furher analyzed by employing glass capillary gas chromatography. Samples were then introduced to a mass spectrometer by injection from the gas chromatograph. The mass spectrometer allowed identification of the individual components in each fraction. Branched alkanes, alkyl benzenes, and polychlorinated biphenyls were found to be the predominant classes of compounds in the n-hexane eluate. Fatty acids, alcohols, phenolic compounds and phthalic acid esters were also found to be present in the air-water interface.