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P Araque

Publications and source records attributed to P Araque.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Oestrogenicity of paper and cardboard extracts used as food containers.

Bisphenol-A (BPA), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which are common chemical residues in food-packaging materials, were investigated in paper and cardboard containers used for take-away food. The oestrogenicity of aqueous extracts was tested in E-Screen bioassay and analysis carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Oestrogenicity was demonstrated in 90% of extracts (geometric mean [GM] = 11.97 pM oestradiol equivalents g(-1)). DEHP, DBP, and BPA (GM = 341.74, 37.59, and 2.38 ng g(-1) of material) were present in 77.50, 67.50, and 47.50% of samples, respectively. In bivariate analyses, no significant association was found between the levels of these chemicals and oestrogenicity in cardboard/paper extracts. A close-to-significant association was found between oestrogenicity and DBP (beta = 1.25; p = 0.06) in paper extracts, which reached statistical significance in multivariate analysis (beta = 1.61; p = 0.03). Paper and cardboard used in food packaging may contribute to the inadvertent exposure of consumers to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Benzhydryl Compounds↗

PBDEs and PBBs in the adipose tissue of women from Spain.

Polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polybromobiphenyls (PBBs) were investigated in adipose tissue of women living in Southeastern Spain. Mean Sigma PBDE (BDE 28, 75, 71, 47, 66, 77, 100, 119, 99, 85, 154, 153, 138, and 183) and Sigma PBB (PBB 18, 29, 31, 22, 38, 37, 53, 52, 49, 75, 80, 56, 77, 103, 101, 155, 154, 153, and 169) levels were 3.85 and 0.36 ng/g of lipid, respectively. Among PBDEs, congeners 153, 47, 183, 99, and 100 were the most frequent and abundant and together constituted 96% of the total amount of PBDEs in adipose tissue. Concentrations of PBDEs in this population were similar to those reported in other parts of Spain and in Swedish and Belgium populations but lower than those found in other Western countries. Among PBB congeners studied, PBB 153 presented the highest concentrations and contributed 79% of all PBBs. There are no published data on PBB congeners in adipose tissues of the Spanish population for comparison, but the levels found were similar to those described in other European countries. Further research is needed to determine trends in human exposure to PBDEs and PBBs and to explore putative effects on human health.

Adipose Tissue↗

[Perspectives on endocrine disruption].

Two decades ago, reports of alterations in the reproductive function of some wild animal species and clear evidence of human and animal exposure to chemical substances with hormonal activity agonist and antagonist generated what is known now as the hypothesis of endocrine disruption. This is an emerging environmental health problem that has challenged some of the paradigms on which the control and regulation of the use of chemical compounds is based. The need to include in routine toxicology tests new research objectives that specifically refer to the development and growth of species and to the homeostasis and functionality of hormonal systems, has served to complicate both the evaluation of new compounds and the re-evaluation of existing ones. The repercussions on regulation and international trade have not taken long to be felt. On both sides of the Atlantic, screening systems for endocrine disrupters have been designed and established, and research programmes have been launched to characterise and quantify adverse effects on human and animal health and to develop preventive measures.

Animals↗