Associations among urinary triclosan and bisphenol A concentrations and serum sex steroid hormone measures in the Canadian and U.S. Populations.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional analysis of population survey data (NHANES and CHMS).
PubMed 33161203 · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2020.106229
What was done
The authors compared urinary concentrations of triclosan and bisphenol A (BPA) between Canadian and U.S. populations using nationally representative data from the 2012-2015 Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) and the 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). They evaluated cross-sectional associations of urinary triclosan and BPA with serum sex steroid hormones (estradiol [E2], progesterone [P4], and testosterone [T]) using multivariable regression.
What was found
The abstract reports directional associations without numerical effect sizes or confidence intervals. Creatinine-standardized urinary triclosan was higher in Canadian females aged 12-19 years, whereas BPA was higher in U.S. females aged 20-49 years. Increasing triclosan was associated with higher E2 in girls aged 6-11 years, lower E2 and T in adolescent boys aged 12-19 years, and exhibited a U-shaped association with E2 in men aged 50-79 years. Increasing BPA was associated with lower E2 in boys aged 6-11 years and in adolescents aged 12-19 years of either sex. No associations were observed for P4 or between BPA and hormones in adults.
Why it matters
This study provides population-level evidence linking widespread exposure to environmental phenols with altered circulating sex steroid hormone concentrations, particularly during childhood and adolescence.
Limits
The abstract omits sample size, effect estimates, and confidence intervals. The cross-sectional design prevents causal inference or determination of temporality. Single-spot urine samples may inadequately capture long-term exposure to non-persistent chemicals.
Cited by
- partial A study found that adolescent boys with the highest BPA levels had 50% lower testosterone compared to boys with the lowest BPA levels.