The DOI matches its Crossref record; 207 of the 212 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 45 of the 86 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures
Open accessAbstract
Phthalates (diesters of phthalic acid) are widely used as plasticizers and additives in many consumer products. Laboratory animal studies have reported the endocrine-disrupting and reproductive effects of phthalates, and human exposure to this class of chemicals is a concern. Several phthalates have been recognized as substances of high concern. Human exposure to phthalates occurs mainly via dietary sources, dermal absorption, and air inhalation. Phthalates are excreted as conjugated monoesters in urine, and some phthalates, such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), undergo secondary metabolism, including oxidative transformation, prior to urinary excretion. The occurrence of phthalates and their metabolites in urine, serum, breast milk, and semen has been widely reported. Urine has been the preferred matrix in human biomonitoring studies, and concentrations on the order of several tens to hundreds of nanograms per milliliter have been reported for several phthalate metabolites. Metabolites of diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl- (DBP) and diisobutyl- (DiBP) phthalates, and DEHP were the most abundant compounds measured in urine. Temporal trends in phthalate exposures varied among countries. In the United States (US), DEHP exposure has declined since 2005, whereas DiNP exposure has increased. In China, DEHP exposure has increased since 2000. For many phthalates, exposures in children are higher than those in adults. Human epidemiological studies have shown a significant association between phthalate exposures and adverse reproductive outcomes in women and men, type II diabetes and insulin resistance, overweight/obesity, allergy, and asthma. This review compiles biomonitoring studies of phthalates and exposure doses to assess health risks from phthalate exposures in populations across the globe.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This review compiles global human biomonitoring and selected epidemiological studies of phthalate exposures, focusing on urinary metabolites and other biological matrices. It reports ubiquitous exposure, higher levels in children, country-specific temporal trends, and associations with reproductive, metabolic, and allergic outcomes, while noting major data gaps.
Key findings
- Phthalates are widely used plasticizers/additives; annual global production was 4.7 million metric tons in 2006 and ~8 million metric tons in 2015. DEHP, DiNP, and BzBP are common additives that migrate from products.
- Urine is the preferred biomonitoring matrix; metabolites of DEP, DBP/DiBP, and DEHP are most abundant. Sum of 22 phthalate metabolites in urine was on the order of several to hundreds of µg/L. Kuwait samples from 2006–2007 had the highest median total phthalate metabolite concentration at 1,050 µg/L (maximum 19,300 µg/L), with MEP 411 µg/L, MBP 113 µg/L, and DEHP metabolites 180 µg/L.
- Temporal trends varied by country: US DEHP exposure declined since 2005 while DiNP exposure increased; a 67% decline in US DEHP exposure was reported between 2005/6 and 2011/12. In China, DEHP exposure increased since 2000/2001. Children often had higher exposures than adults; in DEMOCOPHES, children vs mothers had geometric means of MBP 34.8 vs 23.9 µg/L, MiBP 45.4 vs 30.1 µg/L, and ΣDEHP 47.6 vs 29.2 µg/L, though MEP was higher in mothers (48.2 vs 34.4 µg/L).
- Epidemiological studies reported associations between phthalate exposures and adverse reproductive outcomes, type II diabetes and insulin resistance, overweight/obesity, allergy, and asthma. For example, higher urinary MBP, MiBP, MBzP, MCPP, and DEHP metabolites were associated with increased diabetes diagnosis in US women, and DEHP metabolites were associated with obesity in adult females and older males.
Methods
- Narrative review based on a literature search in Web of Science Core Collection, BIOSIS Previews, Derwent Innovations Index, MEDLINE, and SciELO Citation Index, using terms for phthalic acid/phthalates OR phthalate metabolites AND biomonitoring OR epidemiological studies, restricted to publications between 2000 and 2018.
- The review summarizes biomonitoring of phthalate diesters and their monoester and oxidative metabolites in urine, serum, breast milk, semen, saliva, amniotic fluid, and nails, plus selected epidemiological studies linking exposure to health outcomes. Main analysis is narrative synthesis; no meta-analysis is reported.
Limitations
- Paper-stated: there is a lack of biomonitoring data on phthalate exposures in developing countries in Africa and South America; lack of analytical standards hinders identification of intermediate biological transformation products; the relevance of matrices such as blood, breast milk, semen, and nails remains largely unknown; and observed associations between phthalate exposure and disease outcomes are exploratory and preliminary.
- Paper-stated: studies reporting partitioning of phthalates among tissues and organs at steady-state exposure conditions are not available, and interactions of phthalate metabolites with other contaminants should be considered in future investigations.
- Evident from the text: as a narrative review, it does not report a formal systematic-review protocol, risk-of-bias assessment, or quantitative pooled effect estimates, so causal inference from the cited exposure–health associations is limited.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
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Verification
Claims the paper makes
31 No full text of the sources · 27 Partly supported · 23 No basis given · 17 Own interpretation · 11 Supported · 5 Not checked yet · 1 Not supported · 1 Sources not found · 1 Own method · accuracy not yet measured
At least one cited source doesn’t support this claim or points to a different paper, and none confirmed it — see the verdicts below.
In the paper
“A significant association between urinary concentrations of MBzP, MEHP, and MEP and increased risk of endometriosis was found in women [206].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.4. Reproductive Health
What the sources say
- Disputedcites [206] Upson, 2013, Phthalates and risk of endometriosis, Environ. Res. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report a statistically significant inverse association between urinary MEHP and endometriosis risk, not an increased risk. They suggest increased risk with MBzP and MEP, but explicitly state that those associations were not statistically significant. The supplied passages do not give page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Disputed
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“A 67% decline in DEHP exposure in the US population between 2005/6 and 2011/12 has been reported [141].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [141] Zota, 2014, Temporal trends in phthalate exposures: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2010, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report a decline in DEHP metabolites in the U.S. population, from 45.4 ng/mL in 2005–2006 to 24.8 ng/mL in 2009–2010 (about 45%). The paper’s data end in 2009–2010, so they do not support the claimed 67% decline through 2011–2012. (LLM, conf=0.90)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“The mean concentrations of MEP, MBP, and DEHP metabolites were one to two orders of magnitude lower in serum (MEP: 4.2, MBP: 0.4, and DEHP: 7.6 µg/L) and seminal plasma (1.0, 0.8, and 0.6 µg/L) than in urine (326, 42.5, and 115 µg/L).”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [77] Frederiksen, 2010, Correlations between phthalate metabolites in urine, serum, and seminal plasma from young Danish men determined by isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, J. Anal. Toxicol. source
Table III (Results and Discussion; page not provided) reports mean concentrations for MEP and MnBP that round to the cited values in urine, serum, and seminal plasma. Adding the listed DEHP-metabolite means likewise gives approximately 115, 7.6, and 0.6 µg/L, respectively. The paper also states in “Serum and seminal plasma” that levels in those matrices were much lower than in urine. (LLM, conf=0.93)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“MEP (222 µg/g CR) was the predominant phthalate metabolite found in urine samples of pregnant women from the Netherlands (Generation R study) [110].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [110] Ye, 2008, Urinary metabolite concentrations of organophosphorous pesticides, bisphenol A, and phthalates among pregnant women in Rotterdam, the Netherlands: The Generation R study, Environ. Res. source
The Results section reports that MEP had the highest creatinine-adjusted median concentration among the phthalate metabolites, at 222 µg/g Cr. The Introduction identifies the samples as coming from pregnant women in the Generation R study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. (LLM, conf=0.95)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“However, when only serum was available for analysis, MEP and MiBP representing low molecular weight phthalates, and MECPP and MCiOP representing high molecular weight phthalates, have been used as indicators of phthalate exposure [77].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [77] Frederiksen, 2010, Correlations between phthalate metabolites in urine, serum, and seminal plasma from young Danish men determined by isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, J. Anal. Toxicol. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The “Serum and seminal plasma” section identifies MEP and MiBP as low-molecular-weight indicators and MECPP and MCiOP as high-molecular-weight indicators when only serum is available. It says they “could be used” for this purpose, however, rather than documenting that they have been used. (LLM, conf=0.84)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: Biomonitoring studies of human phthalate exposure have been based on urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“DEHP exposure in the Chinese population has increased since 2001 [143].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [143] Johns, 2015, Exposure assessment issues in epidemiology studies of phthalates, Environ. Int. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results section (1.3.2, page unavailable) reports that DEHP concentrations in Chinese air increased from 2000 to 2010. That supports an increasing environmental trend, but the cited evidence is environmental monitoring rather than a measurement of exposure in the Chinese population, and it does not establish 2001 as the starting point. (LLM, conf=0.82)
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“a comparative analysis of biomonitoring data in Europe suggested a significant decline in phthalate metabolite concentrations (especially MEP, MBP, MBzP, and DEHP metabolites) from 2011 to 2016 [42].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [42] Tranfo, G., Caporossi, L., Pigini, D., Capanna, S., Papaleo, B., and Paci, E. (2018). Temporal trends of urinary phthalate concentrations in two populations: Effects of REACH authorization after five years. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 15. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report lower urinary concentrations in the 2016 group for MnBP, MBzP and DEHP metabolites, and for MEP in men. They explicitly say the decline in MEP among women was not statistically significant. The study compares two recruited groups in one geographical area, so it does not establish a significant decline across Europe as a whole. (LLM, conf=0.88)
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“and these concentrations were at least an order of magnitude lower than those measured in urine.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [24] Hanberg, 2008, Phthalate diesters and their metabolites in human breast milk, blood or serum, and urine as biomarkers of exposure in vulnerable populations, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results (page unavailable) report that most blood or serum samples were below the detection limit, while all urine samples had detectable concentrations of most metabolites. This supports a general serum–urine difference, but the available passages do not establish that serum MBP, MEHP, MEP, and MiBP were each at least tenfold lower than their urinary concentrations. (LLM, conf=0.83)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Neonates who receive medical treatments such as transfusions are widely recognized as potentially highlexposed [148].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [148] Calafat, 2009, Exposure to bisphenol A and other phenols in neonatal intensive care unit premature infants, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Conclusion describes premature infants receiving intensive medical treatment as a potential high-risk population for chemical exposure, and the Discussion reports elevated BPA exposure associated with greater use of medical products. The paper does not identify transfusions as an example or assess exposure from them, so that specific part of the claim is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.84)
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“MiNP was the major metabolite found in breast milk collected from mothers in Denmark (101 µg/L) and Finland (89 µg/L) [25,159].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [25] Main, 2006, Human breast milk contamination with phthalates and alterations of endogenous reproductive hormones in infants three months of age, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results state that miNP had the highest concentration of the measured phthalate monoesters in breast milk and that levels were higher in Denmark than Finland. Our copy gives a pooled median of 95 µg/L in the Abstract > Results, but the passages do not provide the claimed country-specific values of 101 and 89 µg/L. (LLM, conf=0.82)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [159] Mortensen, 2005, Determination of phthalate monoesters in human milk, consumer milk, and infant formula by tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS), Anal. Bioanal. Chem. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“urinary concentrations of mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MIBP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP) were 20–100 times those in blood or milk [24].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [24] Hanberg, 2008, Phthalate diesters and their metabolites in human breast milk, blood or serum, and urine as biomarkers of exposure in vulnerable populations, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report that most blood or serum and milk samples were below the detection limit, while all urine samples had detectable concentrations of most metabolites. This supports the general contrast, but the passages do not establish a 20–100-fold difference for MEHP, MIBP, MEP, and MBP specifically. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Exposure to high molecular weight phthalates are is associated with allergies and asthma [200,201].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.3. Allergy and Asthma
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [200] Braun, 2013, Phthalate exposure and children’s health, Curr. Opin. Pediatr. source
The Phthalate Metabolism and Exposure section identifies DEHP and BBzP as high-molecular-weight phthalates. The Asthma and Allergy section reports associations between childhood exposure to those phthalates and allergic disease, including asthma. The evidence concerns these specific phthalates, rather than every member of the high-molecular-weight group. (LLM, conf=0.90)
- Partly supportedcites [201] Hoppin, 2013, Phthalate exposure and allergy in the U.S. population: Results from NHANES 2005-2006, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report that MBzP, a high-molecular-weight phthalate metabolite, was positively associated with asthma and allergic symptoms in adults. The claim is broader than the findings: no other high-molecular-weight metabolite was significantly associated with allergic symptoms in adults, and some associations with asthma and hay fever in children were inverse. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“The metabolites of DEHP (∑0.98 µg/L) and MBP (2.97 µg/L) also were present in considerable concentrations in seminal plasma in the same study [162].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [162] Smarr, 2018, Endocrine disrupting chemicals in seminal plasma and couple fecundity, Environ. Res. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results (page not provided) say that MnBP and DEHP were detected in all seminal-plasma samples, and the Methods list phthalate metabolites measured in seminal plasma. The passages do not report a summed DEHP-metabolite concentration of 0.98 µg/L or an MBP concentration of 2.97 µg/L; they distinguish DEHP, a parent phthalate, from the measured metabolites. (LLM, conf=0.83)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Exposure of DEHP, BzBP, DBP, and DEP during gestation has been associated with allergic responses in infants and toddlers [200].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.3. Allergy and Asthma
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [200] Braun, 2013, Phthalate exposure and children’s health, Curr. Opin. Pediatr. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Asthma and Allergy section reports that maternal BBzP exposure during pregnancy was associated with eczema appearing by 24 months. It links DEHP chiefly to childhood exposure and allergic disease; it does not report gestational DEHP, DBP, or DEP exposure as associated with allergic responses in infants or toddlers. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.90)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Urinary concentration of MBP was associated with fat deposition in boys in China [197].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.2. Overweight and Obesity
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [197] Zhang, 2014, Age and sex-specific relationships between phthalate exposures and obesity in Chinese children at puberty, PLoS ONE sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report that higher urinary MBP was associated with body-fat distribution indices in Chinese boys aged 11–13, and the Discussion describes positive associations in boys over 10. The claim omits that age restriction, making the association sound applicable to boys generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“MBzP, MEHHP, MEOHP, and MEP were associated with increased waist circumference and BMI [193]”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.2. Overweight and Obesity
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [193] Cook, 2007, Concentrations of urinary phthalate metabolites are associated with increased waist circumference and insulin resistance in adult U.S. males, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report that MBzP, MEHHP, MEOHP, and MEP were associated with increased waist circumference in adult U.S. males. The Methods identify waist circumference and HOMA as the outcomes; BMI is mentioned as a comparison measure, but no association between these metabolites and BMI is reported. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.90)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Further, DEHP (4.20 µg/L) and DBP (2.06 µg/L) were reported at high concentrations in male seminal plasma from men in the US.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [162] Smarr, 2018, Endocrine disrupting chemicals in seminal plasma and couple fecundity, Environ. Res. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Materials and Methods section describes men recruited in Michigan and Texas, and the Results section says DEHP and DBP were detected in all seminal-plasma samples. The passages in our copy do not give the claimed concentrations of 4.20 and 2.06 µg/L or characterize them as high; the Results instead say seminal-plasma concentrations were generally lower than urinary concentrations. (LLM, conf=0.82)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Epidemiological studies in the US [192,193] reported that women with higher urinary concentrations of MBP, MiBP, MBzP, and MCPP and those of DEHP metabolites showed increased risk of diagnosis for diabetes in comparison with those who had lower concentrations of phthalates.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.1. Diabetes
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [192] Sun, 2014, Association of urinary concentrations of bisphenol A and phthalate metabolites with risk of type 2 diabetes: A prospective investigation in the nurses’ health study (NHS) and NHSII cohorts, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results (page unavailable) report positive associations for MBP and MiBP in NHSII and for MECPP in the combined cohorts. The claim names MCPP instead of MECPP, and the cited Results do not establish the claimed increase for MBzP; they also state that DEHP metabolites as a group were not significantly associated with incident type 2 diabetes. The Discussion (page unavailable) notes no phthalate association in the older NHS women, so the finding should not be generalized to both cohorts. (LLM, conf=0.90)
- Partly supportedcites [193] Cook, 2007, Concentrations of urinary phthalate metabolites are associated with increased waist circumference and insulin resistance in adult U.S. males, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report associations between some urinary phthalate metabolites and increased insulin resistance, including MBP and MBzP. But Methods > Study population limits the analysis to adult men, and the Discussion says women were excluded and their results were dissimilar (not shown). The paper measured waist circumference and insulin resistance, not women's risk of a diabetes diagnosis; it also does not report the claimed MCPP association. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“In contrast, higher concentrations of MEP and DEHP were found in the serum and urine of individuals who were undergoing weight loss [199].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.2. Overweight and Obesity
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [199] Dirtu, 2013, Phthalate metabolites in obese individuals undergoing weight loss: Urinary levels and estimation of the phthalates daily intake, Environ. Int. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Section 3.1 (page unavailable) reports higher urinary phthalate-metabolite levels at three months than at baseline, including a peak in MEP and a difference in total DEHP metabolites. Section 3 (page unavailable) specifies that the measurements were in urine; the cited paper does not establish higher serum concentrations. It measured DEHP metabolites, not DEHP itself. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Phthalate exposures have been shown to result in insulin resistance [166,194].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.1. Diabetes
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [166] Desvergne, 2011, Endocrine disruptors: From endocrine to metabolic disruption, Annu. Rev. Physiol. source
- Partly supportedcites [194] Trasande, 2013, Urinary phthalates are associated with higher blood pressure in childhood, J. Pediatr. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Discussion (page not provided) says DEHP metabolites may contribute to insulin resistance, but presents this as a possible mechanism requiring corroboration, not a demonstrated result. The paper studied blood pressure in children and did not establish that phthalate exposure causes insulin resistance. (LLM, conf=0.88)
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Another study of nail samples from Oslo, Norway, showed the presence of monoesters, such as MMP (geometric mean 89.7 ng/g), MEP (104.8 ng/g), and MBP (89.3 ng/g) [112].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [112] Giovanoulis, 2016, Evaluation of exposure to phthalate esters and DINCH in urine and nails from a Norwegian study population, Environ. Res. source
The Abstract in our copy reports these three geometric means in nails from 61 adults in the Oslo area. The claim’s “MBP” corresponds to the paper’s more specific label “MnBP” (mono-n-butyl phthalate). (LLM, conf=0.94)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Prenatal exposure to DEHP metabolites and BzBP has been associated with the risk of developing asthma at the age of 7 years and older [204].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.3. Allergy and Asthma
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [204] Gascon, 2015, Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A and phthalates and childhood respiratory tract infections and allergy, J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Phthalates and respiratory and allergy outcomes section reports increased asthma risk at age 7 with higher prenatal urinary DEHP-metabolite and MBzP concentrations. The paper measured MBzP rather than BzBP directly, and followed children only to age 7; it does not establish an association at older ages. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Further, DEHP metabolites were found to be significantly associated with obesity in adult females and older males [196].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.2. Overweight and Obesity
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [196] Buser, 2014, Age and sex differences in childhood and adulthood obesity association with phthalates: Analyses of NHANES 2007–2010, Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health source
The Results section reports a statistically significant association between urinary DEHP metabolites and obesity in adult females, and a significantly higher risk of obesity in males aged 60 years and older. The Conclusion restates both findings. Here, “older males” refers to men aged 60 or above. (LLM, conf=0.94)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Urinary MEHP concentrations are correlated with asthma in children [203].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.3. Allergy and Asthma
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [203] Wang, 2015, Effects ofphthalate exposure on asthma may be mediated through alterations in DNAmethylation, Clin. Epigenet. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results section ('Phthalate exposure was positively associated with asthma'; page not provided) reports a significant association between urinary 5OH-MEHP and asthma in 256 children. The Methods section ('Exposure monitoring'; page not provided) identifies 5OH-MEHP as the measured metabolite. The citing sentence says MEHP, which is not the metabolite reported in this association. (LLM, conf=0.89)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“MEP, MEHP, MBzP, MEHHP, and MEOHP were associated with obesity in the US population [198].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.2. Overweight and Obesity
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [198] Hatch, 2008, Association of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations with body mass index and waist circumference: A crosssectional study of NHANES data 1999–2002, Environ. Health sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results and Discussion report associations between the listed metabolites and BMI or waist circumference in NHANES participants. The claim overgeneralizes them to obesity in the US population: associations differed by age and sex, and MEHP was inversely associated with BMI in adolescent and adult females. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Several studies have shown a significant association between obesity and phthalate exposure [193,196,198].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.2. Overweight and Obesity
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [193] Cook, 2007, Concentrations of urinary phthalate metabolites are associated with increased waist circumference and insulin resistance in adult U.S. males, Environ. Health Perspect. source
The Discussion reports a significant positive correlation between several urinary phthalate metabolites and abdominal obesity in adult U.S. males. This paper supports the citing sentence as one of the several studies cited, though its finding is limited to that population and does not establish causation. (LLM, conf=0.91)
- Supportedcites [196] Buser, 2014, Age and sex differences in childhood and adulthood obesity association with phthalates: Analyses of NHANES 2007–2010, Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health source
The Discussion reports statistically significant associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations and obesity in specific age and sex groups. It also describes other studies finding associations, while noting that results across studies conflict. This supports the claim that several studies have found a significant association, without implying that all studies agree. (LLM, conf=0.92)
- Supportedcites [198] Hatch, 2008, Association of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations with body mass index and waist circumference: A crosssectional study of NHANES data 1999–2002, Environ. Health source
The Conclusion reports several statistically significant associations between phthalate metabolites and BMI and waist circumference. This paper therefore supports the association claimed as one of the studies cited; its findings are exploratory and cross-sectional. (LLM, conf=0.92)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Whereas some inconsistencies exist across phthalates for specific health outcomes associated with exposures, moderate to strong evidence of male reproductive effects have been demonstrated in the literature [208].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.4. Reproductive Health
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [208] Radke, 2018, Phthalate exposure and male reproductive outcomes: A systematic review of human epidemiological evidence, Environ. Int. source
The Discussion states that all reviewed phthalates except DEP had moderate or greater evidence of male reproductive effects, with robust evidence for DBP and DEHP in adult males. It also acknowledges inconsistencies across phthalates and outcomes, matching the citing sentence’s qualification. (LLM, conf=0.93)
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“whereas DiNP exposure has increased.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Temporal trends in phthalate exposures varied among countries.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Metabolites of diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl- (DBP) and diisobutyl- (DiBP) phthalates, and DEHP were the most abundant compounds measured in urine.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The estimated mean daily exposure doses to DEP and DBP in Asian countries and the US were one to two orders of magnitude below the EPA RfD (DEP = 800, DBP = 100, and DEHP = 20 µg/kg body weight (bw)/day).”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“The estimated daily exposure doses to DEHP in Kuwait and India, however, were close to the RfD of the US EPA [72].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [72] Guo, 2011, Occurrence of phthalate metabolites in human urine from several Asian countries, Environ. Sci. Technol. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“The exposure doses are in the range of a sub to low µg/kg bw/d.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 2. Sources of Phthalates
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [46] Tran, 2015, Occurrence of phthalate diesters in particulate and vapor phases in indoor air and implications for human exposure in Albany, New York, USA, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“In general, the concentrations of the sum of 22 phthalate metabolites measured in human urine were on the order of several to hundreds of parts-per-billion (µg/L) [21].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [21] Silva, 2007, Quantification of 22 phthalate metabolites in human urine, J. Chromatogr. B Anal. Technol. Biomed. Life Sci. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites are generally 5–20 times higher than that in lipid-rich compartments.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“following metabolism, monoesters of phthalates are conjugated with glucuronide or sulfate and excreted in urine [139].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [139] Silva, 2003, Improved quantitative detection of 11 urinary phthalate metabolites in humans using liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry, J. Chromatogr. B source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Human epidemiological studies have shown a significant association between phthalate exposures and adverse reproductive outcomes in women and men”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: unclear — It is unclear why the paper says it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“type II diabetes and insulin resistance”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: unclear — It is unclear why the paper says it holds.
In the paper
“Phthalates are reproductive and developmental toxicants [10].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 1. Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [10] Kay, 2014, Reproductive and developmental effects of phthalate diesters in males, Crit. Rev. Toxicol. source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Overall, these studies suggest higher exposures to phthalates in children than adults.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“The NHANES data showed that the concentrations of urinary phthalate metabolites in children 6–11 years old were higher than those in adolescents and adults [142].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [142] CDC (2019, April 05). NHANES Fourth Annual Report, Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/pdf/fourthreport.pdf.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
In the paper
“In the serum of patients who were undergoing dialysis [53,154,155,156], phthalate acid (PA) was found as a metabolite of phthalates at remarkably high concentrations of 5.22 ± 3.94 mg/L [155].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [155] Pollack, 1985, Circulating concentrations of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and its de-esterified phthalic acid products following plasticizer exposure in patients receiving hemodialysis, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“Several studies support the CDC’s findings that children have higher urinary concentrations than do adults of DBP, BzBP, and DEHP [41,145].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [41] Goen, 2011, Trends of the internal phthalate exposure of young adults in Germany—Follow-up of a retrospective human biomonitoring study, Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [145] Koch, 2004, Internal exposure of nursery-school children and their parents and teachers to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Another study, however, showed that the distribution pattern of monoester metabolites in serum was similar to that of urine [152], especially for MEHP (the metabolite of DEHP) [152].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [152] Silva, 2003, Glucuronidation patterns of common urinary and serum monoester phthalate metabolites, Arch. Toxicol. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Another study also reported the occurrence of PA in serum (0.205 ± 0.067 mg/L) of patients who were undergoing dialysis [154].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [154] Mettang, 1999, Phthalic acid is the main metabolite of the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in peritoneal dialysis patients, Adv. Perit. Dial.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Diet has been a major source of exposure to high molecular weight phthalates, especially DEHP.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 2. Sources of Phthalates
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Nevertheless, MEHHP, MEOHP, MECPP, and MCMHP were found at much higher concentrations in urine than in serum [153].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [153] Koch, 2005, New metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in human urine and serum after single oral doses of deuterium-labelled DEHP, Arch. Toxicol. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Measurements of phthalate diesters in breast milk and serum are prone to false positives due to background contamination.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The presence of MEHP in serum was more likely related to contamination that arises from sampling devices.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Cosmetics and personal care products are the major sources of human exposure to low molecular weight phthalates.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 2. Sources of Phthalates
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Highly exposed individuals have urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations that often exceed those at the 95th percentile of the general population”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“Human saliva samples (n = 39) also contained phthalate metabolites [57,160].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [57] Silva, 2005, Detection of phthalate metabolites in human saliva, Arch. Toxicol. source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [160] Kato, 2006, Quantifying phthalate metabolites in human meconium and semen using automated off-line solid-phase extraction coupled with on-line SPE and isotope-dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, Anal. Chem. source
plainn = 39- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“In contrast, urinary DiNP concentrations in the US population increased significantly during the period 2005/6–2011/12”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Phthalates can cross the placental barrier [58]”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [58] Fennell, 2004, Pharmacokinetics of dibutylphthalate in pregnant rats, Toxicol. Sci. source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“The median concentrations of phthalate metabolites in urine samples from Germany decreased significantly from 2002 to 2008 [41].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [41] Goen, 2011, Trends of the internal phthalate exposure of young adults in Germany—Follow-up of a retrospective human biomonitoring study, Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Phthalates have well-documented anti-androgenic activity in rodent studies that result in reduced circulating testosterone.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Poor semen quality was associated with exposure to phthalate metabolites.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.4. Reproductive Health
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“MBP was the most (85%) frequently detected compound in saliva [57].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [57] Silva, 2005, Detection of phthalate metabolites in human saliva, Arch. Toxicol. source
plainn = 39- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“This study showed adverse associations between seminal phthalate metabolite concentrations and semen quality [163].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [163] Smarr, 2018, Preconception seminal plasma concentrations of endocrine disrupting chemicals in relation to semen quality parameters among male partners planning for pregnancy, Environ. Res. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Controlled laboratory animal studies on the toxic effects of phthalates have enabled understanding of biological plausibility and potential mechanisms of actions of this class of chemicals.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The toxic endpoints determined in animal studies, following phthalate exposure, include retention of nipples, anogenital distance, pathological changes in testes and male reproductive accessory glands, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, and semen parameters.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“These results suggested that phthalate metabolites can partition in seminal plasma.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“High concentrations of DEHP and its metabolites (∑40.6 µg/L) were found in semen from German men [161].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [161] Herr, 2009, Urinary di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)—Metabolites and male human markers of reproductive function, Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Similarly, DEHP (2.09 µg/L) and DBP (1.75 µg/L), as well as their metabolites, were found as the predominant phthalates/phthalate metabolites in seminal plasma from male partners who were planning for pregnancy.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [163] Smarr, 2018, Preconception seminal plasma concentrations of endocrine disrupting chemicals in relation to semen quality parameters among male partners planning for pregnancy, Environ. Res. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Urinary MEP and MBP and the metabolites of DEHP and DiNP are associated with anomalies in pubertal development in girls [205].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.4. Reproductive Health
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [205] Frederiksen, 2012, High urinary phthalate concentration associated with delayed pubarche in girls, Int. J. Androl. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“MBP and MBzP were found in semen from US men [32,54].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [32] Duty, 2003, Phthalate exposure and human semen parameters, Epidemiology source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [54] Hauser, 2006, Altered semen quality in relation to urinary concentrations of phthalate monoester and oxidative metabolites, Epidemiology source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Studies have also indicated that semen quality can be affected by environmentally relevant phthalate exposures [121].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [121] Chen, 2008, The internal exposure of Taiwanese to phthalate—An evidence of intensive use of plastic materials, Environ. Int. source
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The reproductive and developmental effects of phthalates are among the most studied and well-described toxic endpoints in those studies.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The utility of other biologic matrices, such as blood, breast milk, semen, and nails, for assessing human exposure to phthalates remains largely unknown due to the limited data.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Therefore, overweight population with high food intake might have high phthalate exposures.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.2. Overweight and Obesity
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: Food intake is the main source of phthalate exposure for high molecular weight phthalates.
In the paper
“Significantly higher concentrations of DEHP (4.66 µg/mL) and MEHP (3.19 µg/mL) were found in the urine of 40 Turkish boys with gynecomastia as compared to that of control groups [207].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.4. Reproductive Health
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [207] Durmaz, 2010, Plasma phthalate levels in pubertal gynecomastia, Pediatrics source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Human biomonitoring studies are useful in elucidating exposures and body burdens of phthalates at a population level.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 5. Conclusions and Perspectives
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The existing studies indicate that the observed associations between phthalate exposure and disease outcomes are exploratory and preliminary”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 5. Conclusions and Perspectives
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“MBP and MBzP were strongly associated with spermatotoxicity and subfertility in males [32,54].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.4. Reproductive Health
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [32] Duty, 2003, Phthalate exposure and human semen parameters, Epidemiology source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [54] Hauser, 2006, Altered semen quality in relation to urinary concentrations of phthalate monoester and oxidative metabolites, Epidemiology source
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Lack of analytical standards hinders the identification of those intermediate biological transformation products of phthalates.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 5. Conclusions and Perspectives
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- It may state two separate claims as one. 26
- Probably not a substantial claim. 18
- The quote only partly states this claim. 2
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Median concentrations of MBP, MBzP, and MEHP in breast milk were 0.54, 0.50, and 0.49 µg/L, respectively [24].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [24] Hanberg, 2008, Phthalate diesters and their metabolites in human breast milk, blood or serum, and urine as biomarkers of exposure in vulnerable populations, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results (page unavailable) report that phthalate metabolites in 42 breast-milk samples were generally close to or below the detection limit, and refer to Table 2 for concentrations. The passages available from our copy do not give the claimed medians of 0.54, 0.50, and 0.49 µg/L, so those exact figures cannot be verified. (LLM, conf=0.74)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“MEHHP and MEOHP also were reported to occur in the placenta at concentrations of 0.09 and <LOD ng/g [144].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [144] Kim, 2016, Association of diethylhexyl phthalate with obesity-related markers and body mass change from birth to 3 months of age, J. Epidemiol. Community Health source
Table 2 in the Results reports median placental concentrations of 0.09 ng/g for MEHHP and <LOD for MEOHP. The <LOD figure is a median, not a claim that MEOHP was absent from every placenta sample; it was detected in 1 of 115 samples. (LLM, conf=0.94)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Median concentrations of MEHHP and MEOHP were 0.31 and <LOD µg/L in maternal blood and 0.32 and <LOD µg/L in cord blood, respectively.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [144] Kim, 2016, Association of diethylhexyl phthalate with obesity-related markers and body mass change from birth to 3 months of age, J. Epidemiol. Community Health source
Results, Table 2 (page not provided) lists the 50th-percentile MEHHP concentrations as 0.31 ng/mL in maternal blood and 0.32 ng/mL in cord blood; MEOHP is <LOD at the 50th percentile in both. The table’s ng/mL units are equivalent to µg/L. (LLM, conf=0.95)
plainn = 128- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“MCPP (0.2 µg/L) and MEOHP (0.3 µg/L), MECPP (0.1–0.4 µg/L), and MEHHP (0.2–0.3 µg/L) were detected in some samples [131].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [131] Hines, 2009, Concentrations of phthalate metabolites in milk, urine, saliva, and Serum of lactating North Carolina women, Environ. Health Perspect. source
The Results section on human milk reports detections of all four metabolites in a few breast milk samples at exactly the stated concentrations. The Results section on correlations refers to the study's 33 women. (LLM, conf=0.95)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“MBP, MEHP, MEP, and MiBP were detected in blood serum at median concentrations of 0.54 0.49, 0.50, and 0.5 µg/L, respectively [24]”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [24] Hanberg, 2008, Phthalate diesters and their metabolites in human breast milk, blood or serum, and urine as biomarkers of exposure in vulnerable populations, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report detectable serum mEHP in a small percentage of samples and seven serum mEP values above the detection limit, but say most blood or serum samples were below that limit. The passages in our copy do not give the four claimed median concentrations or establish detection of serum mBP and miBP at those medians. (LLM, conf=0.78)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“DEHP and BzBP and their monoesters are regarded as allergens, and exposure to them has been associated with asthma and wheezing in adults [200,201].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.3. Allergy and Asthma
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [200] Braun, 2013, Phthalate exposure and children’s health, Curr. Opin. Pediatr. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The “Asthma and Allergy” section reports associations between DEHP and BBzP exposure and asthma or wheezing in children, not adults. It describes phthalates as potential adjuvants affecting allergen response, but does not classify DEHP, BBzP, or their monoesters as allergens. (LLM, conf=0.88)
- Partly supportedcites [201] Hoppin, 2013, Phthalate exposure and allergy in the U.S. population: Results from NHANES 2005-2006, Environ. Health Perspect. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results (Table 3) associate MBzP, a metabolite of BBzP, with current asthma and wheeze in adults. They do not show a significant association between DEHP metabolites and either symptom. The Introduction and Discussion describe DEHP and BBzP as chemicals that may alter responses to allergens, not as allergens themselves. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Two phthalate metabolites (2.2 µg/L MCPP and 2.3 µg/L MECPP) were detected in a saliva sample from a US woman [131].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [131] Hines, 2009, Concentrations of phthalate metabolites in milk, urine, saliva, and Serum of lactating North Carolina women, Environ. Health Perspect. source
The Results section, under “Concentrations of phthalate metabolites in saliva,” reports exactly these two concentrations in a single saliva sample from one woman on one visit. The study population was lactating women in North Carolina, consistent with the claim’s description of a US woman. (LLM, conf=0.95)
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Phthalate metabolites were measured in nail samples from Belgium, and the total concentrations ranged between <12 and 7980 ng/g.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [135] Alves, 2016, Ultrasound assisted extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (US-DLLME)—A fast new approach to measure phthalate metabolites in nails, Anal. Bioanal. Chem. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Section 3.4 (p. 14) confirms that phthalate metabolites were measured in nails from ten Belgian individuals. It reports average analyte levels of 3.6–918 ng/g, not a total-concentration range of <12–7980 ng/g; the latter figures are not supported by the passages in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Phthalate exposure was associated with increased body mass and waist circumference [195].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.2. Overweight and Obesity
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [195] Wang, 2013, Urinary phthalate metabolites are associated with body mass index and waist circumference in Chinese school children, PLoS ONE source
The Results report that MEHP and MEP were positively associated with both BMI and waist circumference after adjustment. The finding concerns specific phthalate metabolites in Chinese school children; the study does not establish causation. (LLM, conf=0.91)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Some phthalate metabolites (MEP, MBP, and MiBP) were associated with obesity in children, whereas MEHP, MECPP, MEHHP, MEOHP, MBzP, and MCNP were associated with obesity in adults.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.2. Overweight and Obesity
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [196] Buser, 2014, Age and sex differences in childhood and adulthood obesity association with phthalates: Analyses of NHANES 2007–2010, Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results sections for children and adolescents and for adults report obesity associations for several listed metabolites, but with important qualifications: MiBP was associated only in males, and the adult results identify individual associations for MECPP, MEHHP, MEOHP, and MCNP. The paper lists MnBP (apparently the claim’s MBP) and MEHP within associated metabolite groups, but does not report individual associations for either; it likewise does not report an individual adult association for MBzP. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Thus far, the majority of the laboratory animal exposure/toxicity studies have focused on DEHP and DBP/DiBP, with limited studies examining the toxicities of other phthalates [164,165,166,167,168,169,170,171,172,173,174,175,176,177,178,179,180,181,182,183,184,185,186,187,188,189,190,191].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [164] Fabjan, 2006, A category approach for reproductive effects of phthalates, Crit. Rev. Toxicol. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The “Reproductive Toxicity of Selected Phthalates” section says DEHP and DBP are among the most frequently investigated phthalates and that study availability varies across phthalates. But it names BBP—not DiBP—as the third frequently investigated compound, and its comparison concerns reproductive endpoints rather than laboratory-animal toxicity studies generally. (LLM, conf=0.88)
- Could not verifycites [165] Lyche, 2009, Reproductive and developmental toxicity of phthalates, J. Toxicol. Environ. Health B Crit. Rev. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The indexed passages labeled Abstract contain bibliographic information and keywords naming DEHP and n-butyl phthalate, but no discussion of how many laboratory-animal studies examined each phthalate. Searches for the claimed concentration of studies on DEHP and DBP/DiBP, and the scarcity of studies on other phthalates, found no passage that addresses that comparison. (LLM, conf=0.69)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [166] Desvergne, 2011, Endocrine disruptors: From endocrine to metabolic disruption, Annu. Rev. Physiol. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“MEHP, MBP, and MEP were the major metabolites detected in every nail sample, with a median concentration of 138, 74, and 64 ng/g, respectively [135].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [135] Alves, 2016, Ultrasound assisted extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (US-DLLME)—A fast new approach to measure phthalate metabolites in nails, Anal. Bioanal. Chem. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Section 3.4 (p. 14) identifies MEHP, MBP isomers, and MEP as the major metabolites and reports detection in 100% of the ten individuals studied. It does not give the claimed median concentrations of 138, 74, and 64 ng/g; it reports only an overall range of average levels and refers to Table 4. (LLM, conf=0.85)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Urine has been the preferred matrix in human biomonitoring studies, and concentrations on the order of several tens to hundreds of nanograms per milliliter have been reported for several phthalate metabolites.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For many phthalates, exposures in children are higher than those in adults.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In the United States (US), DEHP exposure has declined since 2005”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In China, DEHP exposure has increased since 2000.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In a majority of the biomonitoring studies, metabolites of DEHP, DEP, and DBP were the major compounds identified in urine, and the profile varied depending on the country.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The 95th percentile for DEHP exposure doses calculated for the general population (n = 85) and children (n = 254) from Germany were 21 and 25 µg/kg bw/day, respectively, which exceeded the RfD (20 µg/kg bw/day) and the TDI (20–48 µg/kg bw/day) [149].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [149] Koch, 2006, Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP): Human metabolism and internal exposure—An update and latest results, Int. J. Androl. source
plainn = 85- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Dust ingestion is a major source of exposure to phthalates in infants and toddlers, whereas diet is the major source for children and adults.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 2. Sources of Phthalates
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [46] Tran, 2015, Occurrence of phthalate diesters in particulate and vapor phases in indoor air and implications for human exposure in Albany, New York, USA, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“elevated exposure to phthalates, especially DEHP, in neonates admitted to intensive care units was reported (median: 42 µg/kg bw/day; 95th percentile: 1780 µg/kg bw/day) [149], and the exposure dose was higher than the RfD.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [149] Koch, 2006, Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP): Human metabolism and internal exposure—An update and latest results, Int. J. Androl. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“allergy, and asthma”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: unclear — It is unclear why the paper says it holds.
The quote only partly states this claim.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“Human exposure to phthalates arises mainly from ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption [17,18].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 1. Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [17] Guo, 2013, A survey of phthalates and parabens in personal care products from the United States and its implications for human exposure, Environ. Sci. Technol. source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [18] Guo, 2014, Phthalates and parabens in personal care products from China: Concentrations and human exposure, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Phthalates are diesters of phthalic acid (1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid) and are synthetic organic chemicals used in industries as solvents, plasticizers, and additives in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics or personal care products (PCPs) [1].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 1. Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [1] Latini, 2005, Monitoring phthalate exposure in humans, Clin. Chim. Acta source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“overweight/obesity”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: unclear — It is unclear why the paper says it holds.
The quote only partly states this claim.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“some phthalates, such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), undergo secondary metabolism, including oxidative transformation, prior to urinary excretion.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The occurrence of phthalates and their metabolites in urine, serum, breast milk, and semen has been widely reported.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > Abstract
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Although current exposure doses in the general population are below the tolerance limits reported by environmental agencies, certainly population groups, especially children, are exposed to high levels of phthalates.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“MBP was found in >93% of amniotic fluid samples collected from the US [59] at concentrations two- to threefold lower than those of serum and four- to sevenfold lower than those of urine [59].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [59] Silva, 2004, Detection of phthalate metabolites in human amniotic fluid, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Because phthalates have a short half-life in human bodies and are excreted quickly in urine as monoester metabolites, the metabolites are suitable biomarkers for human exposure to parent compounds.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Salivary concentrations of phthalate metabolites in 39 adult volunteers were in the ranges of <1 to 10.6 µg/L for PA, 91.4 µg/L for MEP, 65.8 µg/L for MBP, and 354 µg/L for MBzP.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [57] Silva, 2005, Detection of phthalate metabolites in human saliva, Arch. Toxicol. source
plainn = 39- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The oxidative metabolites, MEOHP, MEHHP, MECPP, and MCMHP, however, are the major metabolites of DEHP and are appropriate biomarkers of exposure to this compound [21].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [21] Silva, 2007, Quantification of 22 phthalate metabolites in human urine, J. Chromatogr. B Anal. Technol. Biomed. Life Sci. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Studies have reported the occurrence of phthalates in breast milk [158]; the reported concentrations in breast milk were much lower than those in urine but similar to those in amniotic fluid.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.3. Phthalate Metabolites in Amniotic Fluid, Breast Milk, Semen, and Saliva
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [158] Kim, 2015, Concentrations of phthalate metabolites in breast milk in Korea: Estimating exposure to phthalates and potential risks among breast-fed infants, Sci. Total Environ. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Studies indicated that children are prone to exposure to DEHP, BzBP, DBP, and DEP and that exposure was associated with allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and conjunctivitis [202].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.3. Allergy and Asthma
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [202] Shibata, 2014, Exposure to house dust phthalates in relation to asthma and allergies in both children and adults, Sci. Total Environ.
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“As a class of well-studied endocrine disrupting chemicals, exposure to phthalates has been linked to sex anomalies, endometriosis, altered reproductive development, early puberty and fertility, breast and skin cancer, allergy and asthma, overweight and obesity, insulin resistance, and type II diabetes.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Exposure to MEP, MiBP, and MBP pose an increased risk of pregnancy loss in Chinese women.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.4. Reproductive Health
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Although studies have reported the occurrence of phthalate metabolites in other human specimens, including serum, seminal plasma, and amniotic fluid, the relevance of these matrices in understanding toxic effects needs further investigation.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 5. Conclusions and Perspectives
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Biomonitoring studies clearly demonstrate that human exposures are almost ubiquitous, and, in most cases, children have higher exposures than do adults.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 5. Conclusions and Perspectives
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: unclear — It is unclear why the paper says it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There is a lack of biomonitoring data on phthalate exposures in developing countries in Africa and South America.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 5. Conclusions and Perspectives
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Although biomonitoring studies select major biomarkers/metabolites of phthalates, several other intermediate and transformation products of phthalates appear to exist in human specimens.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 5. Conclusions and Perspectives
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“These intermediates may have more pronounced effects on health.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 5. Conclusions and Perspectives
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Because humans are exposed to thousands of harmful chemicals, establishing the link between exposure to a single substance class and adverse health outcomes is fraught with uncertainties.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.4. Reproductive Health
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Rests on an assumption: Humans are exposed to thousands of harmful chemicals.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Robust analytical methods exist to measure more than 20 phthalate metabolites in urine, a preferred matrix of choice for biomonitoring studies.”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 5. Conclusions and Perspectives
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Urine is a preferred matrix of choice for biomonitoring studies.
The paper relies on this without support.
Food intake is the main source of phthalate exposure for high molecular weight phthalates.
“Food intake is the main source of phthalate exposure (for high molecular weight phthalates).”
The paper relies on this without support.
Humans are exposed to thousands of harmful chemicals.
“Because humans are exposed to thousands of harmful chemicals”
The paper relies on this without support.
Biomonitoring studies of human phthalate exposure have been based on urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites.
“The biomonitoring studies of human phthalate exposure have been based on urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Urine is a preferred matrix of choice for biomonitoring studies.
“a preferred matrix of choice for biomonitoring studies”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
“Maternal urinary concentrations of MEHHP and MEOHP in Korea were 17.7 and 14.7 µg/L, respectively, which were two- to threefold higher than those found in newborns (5.79 and 3.27 µg/L) [144].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
Reported 3 · recomputed 4.495413
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 4. Select Epidemiological Studies Linking Phthalate Exposure and Health Outcomes > 4.4. Reproductive Health
“Significantly higher concentrations of DEHP (4.66 µg/mL) and MEHP (3.19 µg/mL) were found in the urine of 40 Turkish boys with gynecomastia as compared to that of control groups [207].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > References
“207. Durmaz E. Özmert E.N. Erkekoğlu P. Giray B. Derman O. Hıncal F. Yurdakök K. Plasma phthalate levels in pubertal gynecomastia Pediatrics 2010”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates
“In milk and serum samples, the concentrations of phthalate diesters and their metabolites were below the method limit of detection (0.12–3.0 µg/L).”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.2. Phthalate Metabolites in Serum
“MBP, MEHP, MEP, and MiBP were detected in blood serum at median concentrations of 0.54 0.49, 0.50, and 0.5 µg/L, respectively [24]”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
“Urine samples collected from 32 men and 53 women (age: 7–64 years) from northern Bavaria (Germany) contained MBP (median: 181 µg/L), MEP (90.2 µg/L), and major DEHP metabolites, such as MEHHP (46.8 µg/L) and MEOHP (36.5 µg/L) [86].”
§ A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures > 3. Biomonitoring of Phthalates > 3.1. Phthalate Metabolites in Urine
“The median concentrations of DEHP metabolites, namely, MEHP, MEOHP, and MEHHP, were 4.5, 28.3, and 35.9 µg/L, respectively, and these three metabolites were highly intercorrelated.”
Citations
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Metabolism of phthalates in humans
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Self-citationA Review of Human Exposure to Microplastics and Insights Into Microplastics as Obesogens
Kannan, K., & Vimalkumar, K. (2021) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2021.724989 · Cited by 669
Self-citationOccurrence of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polycarbonate Microplastics in Infant and Adult Feces
Zhang, J., Wang, L., Trasande, L., & Kannan, K. (2021) · Environmental Science & Technology Letters · doi:10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00559 · Cited by 487
Self-citationCritical review on the presence of phthalates in food and evidence of their biological impact
Giuliani, A., Zuccarini, M., Cichelli, A., Khan, H., & Reale, M. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17165655 · Cited by 420
Hazards of phthalates (PAEs) exposure: A review of aquatic animal toxicology studies
Zhang, Y., Jiao, Y., Li, Z., Tao, Y., & Yang, Y. (2021) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145418 · Cited by 357
Metadata
- Authors
- Wang, Y., Zhu, H., & Kannan, K.
- Affiliations
- New York State Department of Health (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kannan, Kurunthachalam
- Venue
- Toxics
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2019-04-05
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 21
- ISSN
- 2305-6304 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6630674
- OpenAlex
- W2929721361
- Semantic Scholar
- cf9640de1512facd0df673c4f5e85b1fad74f893
- Cited by
- 755
- References
- 212
- Citations by year
- 2026: 74 · 2025: 101 · 2024: 156 · 2023: 120 · 2022: 122 · 2021: 115 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 29.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Toxics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Toxicology › Pesticide Exposure and Toxicity
- Keywords
- phthalates, human biomonitoring, urinary phthalate metabolites, DEHP, dibutyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, exposure trends, children's exposure, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, asthma, allergy, plasticizers
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-12, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-12 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
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