Phthalate Exposure and Lipid Disruption in Taiwanese Children: Insights from Serum Lipidomic Approach

Tzu-Hsin Yen, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Wei-Chen Tseng, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Sheng-Han Lee, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Zhi-Yi Du, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Wan-Yu Lin, Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Mei-Huei Chen, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
Ching-Chun Lin, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Ching-Chun Lin, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Hui-Ju Wen, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
Hao-Jan Liang, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Yue-Leon Guo, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Pau-Chung Chen, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Ching-Yu Lin, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanFollow

Keywords

environmental toxicology; lipidomics; phthalate; phosphatidylcholine; sphingomyelin

Abstract

Phthalates are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that raise particular concern for children, who generally experience higher exposure levels and are more susceptible to environmental pollutants. To understand potential molecular mechanisms, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 256 Taiwanese children aged 8–10 years from two population-based cohorts: the Taiwan Birth Panel Study and the Taiwan Early-Life Cohort. Serum phosphocholine-containing lipids were profiled by liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and associated with urinary levels of 12 phthalate metabolites. Multiple linear regression models, adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic factors, revealed that mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), an oxidative metabolite of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), exhibited the strongest associations with lipid alterations. Specifically, higher urinary MEHHP was positively associated with several diacyl-phosphatidylcholines and lyso-phosphatidylcholines, while inversely related to sphingomyelins and ether-linked phosphatidylcholines. These lipid signatures suggest disturbances in lipoprotein metabolism, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-related signaling, and sphingolipid balance, offering mechanistic clues to previously observed links between phthalate exposure and hepatic, cardiovascular, and neurological outcomes. Overall, this study identifies lipid perturbations associated with metabolites of DEHP exposure in children and provides molecular insights into how phthalates may disrupt lipid metabolic homeostasis during early life.

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Recommended Citation

Yen, Tzu-Hsin; Tseng, Wei-Chen; Lee, Sheng-Han; Du, Zhi-Yi; Lin, Wan-Yu; Chen, Mei-Huei; Lin, Ching-Chun; Lin, Ching-Chun; Wen, Hui-Ju; Liang, Hao-Jan; Guo, Yue-Leon; Chen, Pau-Chung; and Lin, Ching-Yu (2026) "Phthalate Exposure and Lipid Disruption in Taiwanese Children: Insights from Serum Lipidomic Approach," Journal of Food and Drug Analysis: Vol. 34 : Iss. 1 , Article 8.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.38212/2224-6614.3582