Urinary concentration levels and health risk assessment of phthalates, parabens, benzophenone-3, bisphenols and triclosan in the adult population of Kinshasa: a cross-sectional study in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Phthalates, parabens, benzophenone-3, bisphenols and triclosan are among the contaminants suspected of being involved in several hormone-related pathologies. In developing countries, weak regulations and lack of a precise monitoring plan lead to exposures that could be much worse than in developed countries. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the level of exposure of the adult population of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to these compounds and to assess the health risk induced by these pollutants. Concentrations of four parabens, nine phthalate metabolites, two non-phthalate plasticizers, benzophenone-3, three bisphenols and triclosan were assessed in the urine of 145 volunteers recruited between November 2022 and January 2023 in Kinshasa. Measurements were performed using a liquid or a gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. Methylparaben (MeP: 62.6 μg/L), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP: 78.1 μg/L) and bisphenol A (BPA: 1.54 μg/L) were detected in over 95% of urine samples, with exposure levels exceeding those observed in Western populations. For BPA and MnBP, 100% and 15% of the study samples, respectively, exceeded human biomonitoring guidance values (HBM-GV) proposed by the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) consortium, meaning that their exposure levels are associated with health concerns. The exposure of the population of Kinshasa to these pollutants merits consideration, as it constitutes a serious public health concern. To enhance protection, regulatory measures must be implemented and large-scale studies and awareness campaigns must be conducted.