Associations of benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles with estrogens and androgens among pregnant women: A cohort study with repeated measurements

Ying Li, Yanqiu Zhou, Zongwei Cai, Ruizhen Li, Pei Leng, Hongxiu Liu, Juan Liu, Gaga Mahai, Yuanyuan Li, Shunqing Xu, Wei Xia*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

People are extensively exposed to benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTHs) derivatives, which are environmental pollutants that may possess endocrine-disrupting potential; however, no epidemiological evidence is available on the associations of BTRs and BTHs with estrogens and androgens. This study aimed at investigating the associations of BTRs and BTHs with estrogens and androgens among pregnant women. Based on a prospective cohort study, we included 459 pregnant women who donated a complete serial of urine samples at each trimester and had repeated measurements of four BTRs, four BTHs, three estrogens (estrone, 17β-estradiol, and estrio), and two androgens (dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone) in the urine samples. Associations of repeatedly measured BTRs and BTHs with maternal urinary estrogens and androgens were analyzed, and the cross-sectional associations were also analyzed. Tolyltriazole (TTR) (≥59.3%) and benzothiazole (BTH) (≥93.5%) had the highest detection rate among the BTRs and BTHs, respectively. Repeated measurement analysis and cross-sectional analysis consistently found the target BTRs and BTHs were positively associated with 17β-estradiol, estriol, and testosterone, while the trend of the associations with estrone and dehydroepiandrosterone was inconsistent. Among the positive associations with 17β-estradiol, estriol, and testosterone, the percent of change in estriol associated with TTR was the most prominent [28.5% (95% confidential interval: 24.2%, 32.9%) for each doubling in TTR]. The significant associations with estrone, estriol, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone were stronger among pregnant women who gave birth to a boy than those who gave birth to a girl. These findings add epidemiological evidence on the endocrine-disrupting potential of BTRs and BTHs and highlight the importance of focusing on the health outcomes of BTRs and BTHs related to disturbed estrogens and androgens. Future studies are needed to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Original languageEnglish
Article number155998
JournalScience of the Total Environment
Volume838
Early online date17 May 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Sept 2022

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Waste Management and Disposal
  • Pollution

User-Defined Keywords

  • Benzothiazoles
  • Benzotriazoles
  • Cohort study
  • Effect modification
  • Estrogens and androgens

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