Urinary metabolites of organophosphate flame retardants and their variability in pregnant women

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are commonly added to consumer products to reduce their flammability. Based on levels of OPFRs in indoor environments, human exposure is likely chronic and ubiquitous. Animal studies suggest that exposure to some OPFRs may result in adverse health impacts, particularly for tris (1,3-dichloropropyl) phosphate (TDCPP); however, human data on the impacts of exposure to OPFRs are lacking. To design human studies, more information is needed on the stability of measured OPFRs in human samples over time. In this study, we sought to assess the degree of temporal variability of urinary TDCPP and triphenyl phosphate (TPP) metabolites throughout pregnancy in a cohort of women from central North Carolina