Organophosphate Flame Retardants in Pregnant Women: Sources, Occurrence, and Potential Risks to Pregnancy Outcomes

Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2023 papers

Abstract

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are found in various environmental matrixes and human samples. Exposure to OPFRs during gestation may interfere with pregnancy, for example, inducing maternal oxidative stress and maternal hypertension during pregnancy, interfering maternal and fetal thyroid hormone secretion and fetal neurodevelopment, and causing fetal metabolic abnormalities. However, the consequences of OPFR exposure on pregnant women, impact on mother-to-child transmission of OPFRs, and harmful effects on fetal and pregnancy outcomes have not been evaluated. This review describes the exposure to OPFRs in pregnant women worldwide, based on metabolites of OPFRs (mOPs) in urine for prenatal exposure and OPFRs in breast milk for postnatal exposure. Predictors of maternal exposure to OPFRs and variability of mOPs in urine have been discussed. Mother-to-child transmission pathways of OPFRs have been scrutinized, considering the levels of OPFRs and their metabolites in amniotic fluid, placenta, deciduae, chorionic villi, and cord blood. The results showed that bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP) and diphenyl phosphate (DPHP) were the two predominant mOPs in urine, with detection frequencies of >90%. The estimated daily intake (EDI_M) indicates low risk when infants are exposed to OPFRs from breast milk. Furthermore, higher exposure levels of OPFRs in pregnant women may increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and influence the developmental behavior of infants. This review summarizes the knowledge gaps of OPFRs in pregnant women and highlights the crucial steps for assessing health risks in susceptible populations, such as pregnant women and fetuses.

Related Papers

• → Hormone Ontogeny in the Ovine Fetus. V. Circulating Prolactin in Mid- and Late Gestation and in the Newborn*(1979)33 cited
• → Amniotic fluid proteins: Evidence for the presence of fetal plasma glycoproteins in mouse amniotic fluid(1972)28 cited
• → Pharmacokinetics of clearance in the maternal-fetal amniotic fluid system of the rat(1988)9 cited
• → Fetal H‐Y Typing Using Human Amniotic Fluid*(1983)4 cited
• Strontium-85 in the fetuses of pregnant rats and mice.(1985)