Do urinary metabolites reflect occupational exposure to organophosphate flame retardants? A case study in electronic waste recycling workers.

Abstract

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are commonly used in electronic devices to meet safety standards, but electronic-waste recycling (e-recycling) workers may face significant exposure to those potentially hazardous compounds in their workplace. We examined the relationship between urinary OPE metabolites and their parent compounds in the air, in Canadian e-recycling facilities. We collected personal air samples and end-of-shift urine samples from workers at six e-recycling facilities. We employed linear and Tobit regression models to assess associations between air concentrations of triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) and three metabolites, of tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and two metabolites, of tris (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) and two metabolites, of tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP), and of tris (2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) and one metabolite each. The 85 participants, mostly male (78 %) and aged between 25 and 54, had concentrations of OPEs detected in 90–100 % of air samples, with geometric means of TPhP, TCEP, TBOEP and TDCPP, of 351, 404, 261 and 250 picomoles per cubic metre respectively. The proportion of detection of their corresponding metabolites varied between 32 % and 98 %. Regression models including the urinary flow rate as a covariate showed that a doubling of the air concentration of TCEP was associated with a 42–107 % increase in its metabolites, and a doubling of air concentration of TBOEP, with a 77 % increase. The paucity of data on the toxicokinetics of OPEs limits the determination of appropriate urinary metabolites to monitor OPE occupational exposure. Such additional data, in combination with workplace contextual information, may help clarify the major routes of exposure and the corresponding contributing sources.