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The role of the gut microbiota in human health calls for a better understanding of its determinants. In particular, the possible effects of chemicals with widespread exposure other than pharmaceuticals are little known. Our aim was to characterize the sensitivity of the early-life gut microbiota to specific chemicals with possible antimicrobial action. Within the SEPAGES French couple-child cohort, we assessed 12 phenols in repeated urine samples from 356 pregnant women and their offspring and 19 poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in serum from the pregnant women. We collected stool samples from the children at one year of age, in which the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced, allowing for gut bacterial profiling. Associations of each chemical with α- and β-diversity indices of the gut microbiota and with the relative abundance of the most abundant taxa were assessed using single-pollutant and mixture (BKMR) models. Perinatal exposure to certain parabens was associated with gut microbiota α- and β-diversity and with Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Suggestive associations of certain phenols with genera of the Lachnospiraceae and Enterobacteriaceae families were observed, but these were not maintained after correction for multiple testing. Parabens, which have known antimicrobial properties, might disrupt the child gut microbiota, but larger studies are required to confirm these findings.

Background: Exposure to certain synthetic phenols is of growing concern, in particular among pregnant women, because of their endocrine disrupting nature. Many phenols are still authorized in personal care products (PCP). We aimed to assess if use of PCPs, by pregnant women could influence their urinary concentrations of synthetic phenols., Methods: We used a panel design with intense urine sample collection. Eight women completed a diary with exact time and use of PCPs in three weeks. We measured the concentrations of phenols (four parabens, bisphenol A and S, two dichlorophenols, triclosan, and benzophenone-3) in 178 urine samples, collected during 7 consecutive days at 3 time points during pregnancy. We characterized PCP use as the total number of PCP applications or as a single PCP use (yes/no) in three time windows (0-6, 6 to 12 and 12 to 24h before each urine sample collection). We used adjusted linear and Tobit regressions to assess associations between PCP use and phenol urinary concentrations., Results: The total number of PCP applications was positively associated with ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben concentrations. We observed a peak in urinary concentration of ethylparaben, butylparaben and propylparaben at 2.86, 2.55 and 2.67 h since last PCP use, respectively and twelve different types of PCPs were positively associated with at least one of these parabens. The bisphenol S concentration increased by 12.4% (95%CI: confidence interval: 5.9; 19.3) for each additional PCP application in the 12 to 24 time window and use of specific PCPs such as anti-stretchmarks cream, facial cleanser and shower gel. Associations varied by time window., Conclusion: Our study showed that PCP use was associated with a short-term increase in the urinary concentration of ethylparaben, butylparaben and propylparaben, but not methylparaben. This study also reported a positive association between the use of PCPs and the bisphenol S concentration, a finding that warrants further investigation in cohorts with repeated collection of urine samples and detailed information on PCP use., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND: Previous studies aiming at relating exposure to phenols and phthalates with child social behavior characterized exposure using one or a few spot urine samples, resulting in substantial exposure misclassification. Moreover, early infancy exposure was rarely studied. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the associations of phthalates and phenols with child social behavior in a cohort with improved exposure assessment and to a priori identify the chemicals supported by a higher weight of evidence. METHODS: Among 406 mother-child pairs from the French Assessment of Air Pollution exposure during Pregnancy and Effect on Health (SEPAGES) cohort, 25 phenols/phthalate metabolites were measured in within-subject pools of repeated urine samples collected at the second and third pregnancy trimesters (∼21 samples/trimester) and at 2 months and 1-year of age (∼7 samples/period). Social behavior was parent-reported at 3 years of age of the child using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). A structured literature review of the animal and human evidence was performed to prioritize the measured phthalates/phenols based on their likelihood to affect social behavior. Both adjusted linear regression and Bayesian Weighted Quantile Sum (BWQS) regression models were fitted. False discovery rate (FDR) correction was applied only to nonprioritized chemicals. RESULTS: Prioritized compounds included bisphenol A, bisphenol S, triclosan (TCS), diethyl-hexyl phthalate (RDEHP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), and mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP). With the exception of bisphenols, which showed a mixed pattern of positive and negative associations in pregnant mothers and neonates, few prenatal associations were observed. Most associations were observed with prioritized chemicals measured in 1-y-old infants: Each doubling in urinary TCS (β=0.78; 95% CI: 0.00, 1.55) and MEP (β=0.92; 95% CI: -0.11, 1.96) concentrations were associated with worse total SRS scores, whereas MnBP and RDEHP were associated with worse Social Awareness (β=0.25; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.50) and Social Communication (β=0.43; 95% CI: -0.02, 0.89) scores, respectively. BWQS also suggested worse total SRS [Beta 1=1.38; 95% credible interval (CrI): -0.18, 2.97], Social Awareness (Beta 1=0.37; 95% CrI: 0.06, 0.70), and Social Communication (Beta 1=0.91; 95% CrI: 0.31, 1.53) scores per quartile increase in the mixture of prioritized compounds assessed in 1-y-old infants. The few associations observed with nonprioritized chemicals did not remain after FDR correction, with the exception of benzophenone-3 exposure in 1-y-old infants, which was suggestively associated with worse Social Communication scores (corrected 푝=0.07). DISCUSSION: The literature search allowed us to adapt our statistical analysis according to the weight of evidence and create a corpus of experimental and epidemiological knowledge to better interpret our findings. Early infancy appears to be a sensitive exposure window that should be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some synthetic phenols alter pathways involved in fetal development. Despite their high within-subject temporal variability, earlier studies relied on spot urine samples to assess pregnancy exposure. In this study, we examined associations between prenatal phenol exposure and fetal growth.Methods: We measured concentrations of two bisphenols, four parabens, benzophenone-3, and triclosan in 478 pregnant women in two weekly pools of 21 samples each, collected at 18 and 34 gestational weeks. We used adjusted linear regressions to study associations between phenol concentrations and growth outcomes assessed twice during pregnancy and at birth.Results: Benzophenone-3 was positively associated with all ultrasound growth parameters in at least one time point, in males but not females. In females, butylparaben was negatively associated with third-trimester abdominal circumference and weight at birth. We observed isolated associations for triclosan (negative) and for methylparaben and bisphenol S (positive) and late pregnancy fetal growth.Conclusions: Our results suggest associations between prenatal exposure to phenols and fetal growth. Benzophenone-3 was the exposure most consistently (positively) associated across all growth parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distribution of the phenol urinary concentrations adjusted for specific gravity in the SEPAGES cohort during pregnancy (periods second (N T2 = 477) and third trimesters ((N T3 = 456), and infancy (2 months (N M2 = 152) and 1 year (N Y1 = 100). Compounds with less than 4% detection are not shown (bisphenols F, B, AF and triclocarban). For the bisphenol A infant samples (2 months and 1 year) the concentrations of the conjugated form instead of the total form are presented as external contamination was suspected. Abbreviations: LOD = limit of detection, LOQ = limit of quantification. • Phenol concentrations were assessed accurately through the collection of repeated samples. • Pregnancy and early infancy, sensitive yet rarely analyzed periods were studied. • High detection rates of bisphenol A, parabens and triclosan in mothers and infants. • Concentrations for several phenols were higher at 12 months than during pregnancy. • Cashiers had higher bisphenol S but not bisphenol A levels than unemployed women. Parabens, bisphenol A and triclosan have been forbidden or restricted in specific types of consumer goods in Europe and France. Limited biomonitoring data are available in France since the implementation of these regulations, and exposure data on infants is scarce worldwide. Understanding the predictors of phenol urinary concentrations will help identify potential targets for prevention. We described levels, variability and predictors of exposure to 12 phenols in pregnant women and infants recruited between 2014 and 2017 in a French couple-child cohort. Among 479 pregnant women and 150 of their infants, we studied phenol urinary concentrations in within-subject, within-period pools of repeated urine samples collected during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (up to 42 samples per woman), at 2 months and 12 months (up to 14 samples per infant). Time trends and associations with demographic, protocol, occupational and behavioral factors were studied using interval censored models to accommodate for undetected and unquantified urine concentrations. Detection rates were above 90% for bisphenol A, ethylparaben, methylparaben, benzophenone-3 and triclosan and below 5% for bisphenol AF, B, F and triclocarban. Median levels of bisphenol A, bisphenol S, methylparaben, ethylparaben and propylparaben at 12 months were similar or higher than during pregnancy. For pregnant women all phenols but benzophenone-3 and bisphenol S showed a linear decrease between 2014 and 2017 (p-values < 0.02). Women with the shortest education (primary and secondary school) had higher urinary concentrations of triclosan (β = 0.58 (95% confidence interval (CI), −0.04; 1.20)), ethyl (β = 0.43 (95%CI, 0.03; 0.84)) and propyl paraben (β = 1.39 (95%CI, 0.55; 2.24)) than those with the longest education. Cashiers had higher conccentrations of bisphenol S (β = 0.99 (95%CI, −0.11; 2.09)) but not of bisphenol A (β = −0.04 (95%CI, −0.26; 0.19)) than unemployed women. Despite recent regulations, bisphenol A, triclosan and paraben detection rates were high in women and young infants. High bisphenol and paraben median levels at 12 months require further investigation as early infancy is a sensitive period for exposure to environmental contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]