Association of organophosphate flame retardants with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among adults aged 40 years and older

The longitudinal associations of urinary concentrations of diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP), and bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCPP) with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in a population of adults aged 40 years and older are still unclear. A total of 3238 participants were included in this cohort study. Urinary BCEP levels were positively associated with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. Specifically, a logarithmic increase in BCEP concentration was related to a 26 % higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 32 % higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. No significant associations were observed for DPHP and BDCPP in relation to mortality. Dose-response analysis confirmed the linear associations of BCEP with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and the nonlinear inverted U-shaped association between DPHP exposure and all-cause mortality. Notably, the economic burden associated with BCEP exposure was estimated, and it was shown that concentrations in the third tertile of BCEP exposure incurred approximately 507 billion dollars of financial burden for all-cause mortality and approximately 717 billion dollars for cardiovascular mortality. These results highlight the importance of addressing exposure to BCEP and its potential health impacts on the population. More research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and develop strategies for reducing exposure to this harmful chemical.

Automated summary

This study found that urinary levels of BCEP were positively associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, while DPHP and BDCPP showed no significant associations. The economic burden associated with BCEP exposure was found to be substantial.