BACKGROUND Concern over phthalates has emerged because of their potential toxicity to humans. OBJECTIVE We investigated the relationship between the urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and children's intellectual functioning. METHODS This study enrolled 667 children at nine elementary schools in five South Korean cities. A cross-sectional examination of urine phthalate concentra...

BACKGROUND Few studies have shown an association between prenatal phthalate exposure and adverse effects on neurodevelopment and behavior in young children. OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess the relationship between prenatal exposure to phthalate esters and behavior syndromes in children at 8 years of age. METHODS A total of 122 mother-child pairs from the general population in central Taiwan w...

In the structure of the title salt, 2C(7)H(10)N(+)·C(8)H(2)Cl(2)O(4) (2-)·H(2)O, the two benzyl-aminium anions have different conformations, one being essentially planar and the other having the side chain rotated out of the benzene plane [minimum ring to side-chain C-C-C-N torsion angles = -3.6 (6) and 50.1 (5)°, respectively]. In the 4,5-dichloro-phthalate dianion, the carboxyl-ate groups mak...

As a result of concerns about the toxicity of phthalates to humans, several expert panels were convened toward the end of the 1990s to evaluate the implications of the scientific evidence for the risks of phthalates to humans of all ages. These panels concluded that the risks were low although they had concerns about specific applications of some phthalates, e.g., in medical devices. These grou...

BACKGROUND Little is known about the possible deleterious effects of phthalate exposure on endogenous sex steroid levels in children. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to investigate whether urinary phthalate metabolite levels are associated with circulating adrenal androgen levels and age at puberty. METHODS This was a longitudinal study of 168 healthy children (84 girls) examined every 6 months...

The endophytic fungus Berkleasmium sp. Dzf12, isolated from Dioscorea zingiberensis, was found to produce palmarumycins C12 and C13 which possess a great variety of biological activities. Seven biocompatible water-immiscible organic solvents including n-dodecane, n-hexadecane, 1-hexadecene, liquid paraffin, dibutyl phthalate, butyl oleate and oleic acid were evaluated to improve palmarumycins C...

BACKGROUND Recent studies have identified associations between the concentration of phthalates in indoor dust and allergic symptoms in the airways, nose, and skin. OBJECTIVES Our goal was to investigate the associations between allergic symptoms in children and the concentration of phthalate esters in settled dust collected from children's homes in Sofia and Burgas, Bulgaria. METHODS Dust s...

In a recent study of 198 Swedish children with persistent allergic symptoms and 202 controls without such symptoms, we reported associations between the symptoms and the concentrations of n-butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in dust taken from the childrens' bedrooms. In the present study we examined associations between the concentrations of different phthalate...

Due to health concerns about phthalate esters, the use of alternative plasticizers is being considered. Phthalate esters enhance skin sensitization to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) in mouse models. We have demonstrated that phthalate esters stimulate transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) cation channels expressed on sensory neurons. We also found a correlation between TRPA1 activat...

There is increasing concern about chemical pollutants that have the ability to mimic hormones, the so-called endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). One of the main reasons for concern is the possible effect of EDCs on human health. EDCs may be released into the environment in different ways, and one of the most significant sources is industrial wastewater. The main objective of this research wa...