Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
11th International Congress of the Turkish Society of Toxicology, Antalya, Türkiye, 2 - 05 Kasım 2022, ss.63
Flame retardants (FRs) have been included in consumer products in different chemical structures
since the 1960s, both to prevent combustion and to reduce their flammability. They are member of
endocrine disrupter chemicals family and present all around us, in our homes, schools, workplaces
and leisure venues including furniture, electronics, wall coverings, floor finishes and paints. The
prohibition of the use of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) formulations under the Stockholm
Convention has led to the introduction and use of new alternative FRs. Organophosphate FRs
(OPFRs) are the leading ones among these. Increasing knowledge of FR-related toxicity in children
indicates that exposure to FR leads to health risks, especially in sensitive developmental periods. It
is obvious that determination of the exposure to FR through biomonitoring, specifically in children,
is very important for public health. The aim of this study is to provide the first information about
exposure levels of OPFRs in preschool children in Turkey. For this purpose, we determined the
exposure levels of preschool children to some OPFRs living in Ankara (n=118; male= 62, female=
56), Mersin (n=54; male=33, female=21) and Balıkesir (n=30; male=14, female=16).Two specific
metabolites of OPFRs, bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP) and diphenyl phosphate
(DPHP), were analyzed in urine collected from preschool children (3-6 years old) using liquid
chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In the samples taken from Ankara, Balıkesir
and Mersin, the mean levels of BDCIPP were determined as 0.78±1.46 ng/ml, 2.28±2.71 ng/
ml and 0.72±0.95 ng/ml, respectively. Mean DPHP levels were determined as 0.45±0.33 ng/ml
for Ankara, 0.46±0.21 ng/ml for Balıkesir and 0.52±0.53 ng/ml for Mersin residents. These first
preliminary results of our study reveal the existence of OPFRs exposures of preschool children in
Turkey, even though they live in different regions. These findings are extremely important as they
are the first findings obtained from humans in Turkey.