Prenatal and childhood exposure to common plasticizers in relation to emotional and behavioral development through adolescence

AI Summary

Overall, prenatal and childhood BPA and phthalate exposures showed largely null associations with internalising and externalising problems through adolescence.
Sex-specific prenatal phthalate links: higher self-reported internalising in girls; higher self-reported externalising in boys for specific metabolites.
No associations observed with BPA; childhood phthalate associations were inconsistent and mixture analyses were positive but non-significant.

Sci Total Environ. 2026 May 12;1035:181869. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181869. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Individuals are ubiquitously exposed to bisphenols and phthalates, common plasticizers that may affect neurodevelopment. We examined associations of prenatal and childhood bisphenol and phthalate exposure with internalizing and externalizing problems from early childhood through adolescence.

METHODS: Within the Generation R study, prenatal urinary concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalate metabolites were assessed in early, mid- and late pregnancy and in childhood at age 6 years. Pregnancy levels were averaged and used in analyses. Internalizing and externalizing problems were reported by parents at child age 3, 6, 10 and 14 years and by children at ages 10 and 14 years. Mother-child dyads with at least one prenatal exposure measure and one internalizing or externalizing problem score during follow-up were included (n = 1361). Among children with childhood exposure measures, n = 651 had at least one internalizing or externalizing problem score. Associations were examined using linear mixed models. Mixture analysis was performed for self-reported scores at age 14 with G-computation.

FINDINGS: Associations between phthalate/bisphenol levels and child outcomes were largely null. Except, prenatal mono-n-butylphthalate and mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl)phthalate were associated with higher self-reported internalizing problem scores in girls (B_mBP = 0.16, 95%CI: 0.03, 0.28 and B_mEHHP = 0.11, 95%CI: 0.03,0.19, respectively). Prenatal mono-isobutyl phthalate, mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl)phthalate and mono-(4-carboxymethyl-hexyl)phthalate were associated with higher self-reported externalizing problem scores in boys (B_mIBP = 0.12, 95%CI: 0.03, 0.20, B_mECPP = 0.17, 95%CI: 0.07, 0.28 and B_mCMHP = 0.19, 95%CI: 0.08, 0.30, respectively). Childhood mono-methyl was associated with lower parent-reported externalizing problem scores in boys (B_mMP = -0.12, 95%CI: -0.22, -0.03). Childhood mono-Benzyl phthalate was associated with higher self-reported externalizing problem scores in boys (B_mBzP = 0.12, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.20). No associations with BPA were found. G-computation showed positive, but non-significant, associations for the same metabolites as in single chemical analyses.

CONCLUSIONS: Associations of BPA and phthalate exposure with internalizing and externalizing problem scores in adolescents were largely null, associations with childhood phthalate exposure were less consistent and harder to interpret.

PMID:42119200 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181869

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