• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.161-161
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• 2005

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.75-85
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• 2022

Background: Various types of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) exist in the public's living environment. They occur in different forms in terms of their physical and chemical properties and partition coefficients. As a consequence, indoor exposure to SVOCs occurs via various routes, including inhalation of air and airborne particles, skin contact, and dust intake. Objectives: To propose a method for assessing human exposure to the SVOCs occurring in the air of an indoor environment, the concentrations of SVOCs in house dust and organic films measured in a real residential environment were estimated in terms of gas-phase concentration using the partition coefficient. Assessment of inhalation exposure to SVOCs was performed using this method. Methods: Phthalates were collected from samples of house dust and organic films from 110 households in a real residential environment. To perform an exposures assessment of the phthalates present in organic films, gas-phase concentration was calculated using the partition coefficient. The airborne gas-phase concentrations of phthalates from the house dust and organic films were estimated and exposure assessment was performed based on the assumption of inhalation exposure from air. Results: As a result of the exposure assessment for gas-phase phthalates from house dust and organic films, preschool children showed the highest level of inhalation of phthalates, followed by school children, adults, and adolescents. Conclusions: This study includes the limitation of not considering different SVOCs exposure pathways in the health impact assessment, including those of phthalates in the indoor living environment. However, this study has the significance of performing exposure assessment based on exposure to SVOCs present in indoor air that originated from organic films in the indoor residential environment. Therefore, the results of this study should be useful as basic data for exposure and health risk assessments of SVOCs associated with organic films in the indoor environment.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.164-168
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• 2002

Phthalate analogues are a plasticizer and solvent used in industry and were reported to be a potential carcinogen classified in the category of suspected endocrine disruptors. Most common human exposure to these compounds may occur with contaminated food. They may migrate into food from plastic wrap or may enter food from general environmental contamination. Since these substances are not limited to the original products, and enter the environment, they have become widespread environmental pollutants, thus leading to a variety of phthalates that possibly threaten the public health. To determine whether seven phthalate analogues i.e. diallyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate, di-n-nonyl phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate, di-tridecyl phthalate, and dibutyl phthalate, can induce DNA strand breakage that is one of the various factors related to the mechanism of carcinogenicity, the comet assay which has been widely used for the detection and measurement of DNA strand breaks, was conducted in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells. From these results, seven phthalates revealed dose-dependent decrease of cell viability, however, no remarkable cytotoxicity was observed even at high concentration of 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ phthalates. And also, the results showed that the induction of DNA strand breaks by seven phthalates was not significantly different from the control in this study.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2011

Objectives: Although phthalates like dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) are commonly used as plasticizers and their metabolites are especially suspected of reproductive toxicity, little is known about occupational exposure to those phthalates. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of measuring the metabolite concentrations of DBP and DEHP in serum and urine samples as an indicator of occupational exposure to those phthalates. Methods: Phthalate metabolites were analyzed by using column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results: We detected phthalate metabolites in serum and urine matrices at approximately 10-fold lower than the limit of detection of those metabolites in the same matrix by LC-MS/MS without column switching, which was sufficient to evaluate concentrations of phthalate metabolites for industrial workers and the general population. Conclusion: The accuracy and precision of the analytical method indicate that urinary metabolite determination can be a more acceptable biomarker for studying phthalate exposure and adverse health outcomes.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2020

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disease, worldwide, whose true prevalence is uncertain because it is a difficult disease to diagnose. Endometriosis is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and infertility, and is also associated with ovarian cancer. Although the risk factors for endometriosis are unclear, there is increasing evidence that exposure to environmental contaminants, especially phthalates, could affect the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Phthalates are industrial chemicals, used to make flexible plastics, and are present in numerous common plastic products, including medical devices and materials. Several in vitro studies have suggested a positive association between exposure to phthalate, or phthalate metabolites, and the risk of endometriosis. Since the 2000s, studies based on human plasma and urinary concentrations of various phthalate metabolites have been published, but there are still limitations to our understanding of the pathophysiology of phthalates and endometriosis. This report aims to review the current state of knowledge about a possible role of phthalates in the pathogenesis of endometriosis based on cell culture, animal models, and human data.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.354-363
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• 2018

We examined the levels of brominated flame-retardants (BFRs) including polybrominateddiphenyl ethers (PBDEs), tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and phthalates in indoor dusts in residential houses in Korea, and their distribution patterns depending on building characteristics. Mean concentrations of phthalate esters ($1,825{\mu}g\;g^{-1}$) were significantly higher than that of BFRs (PBDE: $1,332ng\;g^{-1}$, HBCDs: $459ng\;g^{-1}$, and TBBPA: $213ng\;g^{-1}$), indicating more frequent use of phthalate-containing products such as PVC flooring in the Korean houses. PVC flooring house was associated with higher concentrations of DEHP (p = 0.001) and BBP (p = 0.012), indicating that exposure to phthalate was higher in the PVC flooring house. Building age was significantly related with levels of PBDEs especially BDE-47 (p = 0.062), BDE-203 (p = 0.007), DEHP (p = 0.004), and BBP (p = 0.070), respectively, indicating that older buildings can produce higher amounts of PBDEs and phthalates. Our study can provide important information on the sources of BFRs and phthalates in residential houses in Korea.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.178-182
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• 2003

The thermal decomposition of phthalate alone and with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was carried out under a nitrogen atmosphere in a 4-necked separable flask. The thermal decomposition of phthalate in the presence of PVC began at 150$^{\circ}$, about 10$0^{\circ}C$ lower than the decomposition of phthalate alone. The formation of octyl chloride indicated an interaction reaction between phthalate and PVC. From the analysis of the composition of commercially plasticized PVC sheet (film and board), the phthalates (dibutyl phthalate, dihexyl phthalate) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, phthalic anhydride, and 2-ethylhexyl hydrogen phthalate were identified. The mutage-nicities of these decomposition products were higher than those of phthalic diesters (phthalates).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.395-401
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• 2019

Phthalate is a chemical endocrine disrupter and interfere with the action of hormones, estrogens, androgens and thyroid hormones. It also affect cardiovascular, metabolic, immune and reproductive system in the human and animals. Curcumin is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity and -cancer properties in the human. We studied whether phthalates damage viability, mitochondrial activity and membrane integrity of sperm in boar semen. We also treated curcumin with/without phthalates in the boar semen. Fresh boar semen was treated with phthalates and/or curcumin for examining sperm characteristics. Sperm characteristics, sperm motility, viability, mitochondrial activity, and membrane integrity were determined during storage of boar semen. Sperm motility and viability in dose-dependent manner decreased by di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP, p<0.05). Phthalates also decreased mitochondrial activity and membrane integrity of sperm (p<0.05). However, sperm motility and viability were higher than untreated-curcumin when DBP, MBP and DEHP treated with a curcumin in boar semen (p<0.05). Mitochondrial activity and membrane integrity of sperm were higher in DBP- and MBP-treated semen with curcumin (p<0.05). In conclusion, phthalates can damage sperm viability and quality during the boar semen storage, and curcumin may protect the boar sperms from phthalates during storage term.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.274-278
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• 2002

Phthalates, suspected endocrine disruptor, are plasticizer and solvent used in industry, and some phthalates are known as potential carcinogen. Most common human exposure to this compounds may occur with contaminated food. It may migrate into food from plastic wrap or may enter food from general environmental contamination, and it has become widespread environmental pollutants, thus leading to a variety of phthalates that possibly threaten the public health. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) may playa part of cell proliferator, which mediates changes in gene expression and the metabolism of xenobiotics. An understanding of the role of DBP in modulating gene regulation should provide insight regarding mechanisms of DBP induced xenoestrogenic impact. To elucidate the type of genes that are associated with estrogenic activity induced by DBP at the dose (10$^{-8}$ M) appeared proliferating effects, the pattern of gene expression in MCF7 cells was compared between 17$\beta$-estradiol and DBP exposure in the cDNA microarray. From the results, it showed some differences of gene expression patterns between MCF7 cells treated with 17$\beta$-estradiol and DBP, and also DBP shows estrogenic potential with changes in estrogen-related gene expression levels.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2020

Phthalates and those metabolites have long history in industry and suspected to have deficient effects in development and reproduction. These are well-known anti-androgenic chemicals and many studies have examined the effects of these compounds on male reproduction as toxins and endocrine disruptors. Uterus is a key organ for proper embryo development, successful reproduction, and health of eutherian mammals including women. To understand the effects of the phthalate, the horizontal approach with a whole group of phthalate is best but the known phthalates are huge and all is not uncovered. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most common product of plasticizers in polymer products and studied many groups. Although, there is limited studies on the effects of phthalates on the female, a few studies have proved the endocrine disrupting characters of DEHP or phthalate mixture in female. An acute and high dose of DEHP has adverse effects on uterine histological characters. Recently, it has been revealed that a chronical low-dose exposing of DEHP works as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC). DEHP can induce various cellular responses including the expression regulation of steroid hormone receptors, transcription factors, and paracrine factors. Interestingly, the response of uterus to DEHP is not monotonous and the exposed female has various phenotypes in fertility. These suggest that the exposing of DEHP may causes of histological modification in uterus and of disease in female such as endometriosis, hyperplasia, and myoma in addition to developmental and reproductive toxicity.