Phthalate metabolite levels in the hair of stray cats living in highly urbanized area

Phthalates are compounds widely used in industry. They pollute the environment and negatively affect humans and animals, exhibiting endocrine-disrupting properties. Particularly high levels of phthalates occur in highly industrialized and urbanized areas. Therefore, stray cats living in large cities may be extensively exposed to these compounds. This study is the first to describe the levels of phthalate metabolites (i.e., monomethyl phthalate—MMP, monoethyl phthalate—MEP, mono-isobutyl phthalate—MiBP, monobutyl phthalate—MBP, monobenzyl phthalate—MBzP, mono-cyclohexyl phthalate—MCHP, and mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate—MEHP) in the hair of stray cats from Bishkek, the largest city in Kyrgyzstan. The highest concentrations were observed for MBP (median 471.9 pg/mg), MEHP (median 320.5 pg/mg), and MiBP (median 299.3 pg/mg). Conversely, the lowest levels were recorded for MCHP, which were below the limit of detection (LOD) in all examined samples. Moreover, statistically significant differences in MiBP levels were observed between animals of different ages. These results demonstrate that urban stray cats are extensively exposed to selected phthalates, which may affect their health status and welfare. High levels of phthalate metabolites in stray cat hair indicate significant phthalate pollution in the highly urbanized and industrialized environment of Bishkek. Furthermore, they suggest that stray cats may serve as a sentinel and/or indicator species to help assess the risk of human exposure to these substances.