Assessment of the impact on male reproductive health and associated costs of two phthalates: DEHP and DINP

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are suspected of having a significant economic impact on society due, among other things, to their toxicity to the male reproductive system. However, the nature of the costs and their estimates can vary considerably from one study to another, and the scientific basis underlying these estimates is not always explicit. Thus, strong assumptions are often only partially justified by the authors, particularly regarding the proportion of diseases attributable to EDs. For this study, based on the assumption of an established causal link between in utero exposure to DEHP and DINP and the male reproductive system, we propose to use epidemiological data specific to these two phthalates to estimate the impact, in France and Europe, of prenatal exposure on male reproductive health as well as the main associated costs. The health outcomes considered are reduced sperm quality and an increased risk of cryptorchidism and hypospadias. The exposure estimate is based on recent data on exposure levels in pregnant women. The annual costs estimated at this stage of the study are lower than those reported in other studies. Furthermore, although current data are limited, our results show that the health impact of DINP on the male reproductive system and the associated overall cost could be comparable to those of DEHP. These results, if the causal link is confirmed by further studies, may call into question the appropriateness of substituting DINP for DEHP.

Author(s): Rousselle Christophe, Bellanger Martine, Fiore Karine, Bayeux Thomas, Chevrier Cécile

Publishing year: 2018

Pages: 472-479

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2018, n° 22-23, p. 472-479

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