Prenatal Organophosphate Esters Exposure and Neonatal Birth Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study From an Electronic Waste Area.

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.