Phthalate exposure in girls during early puberty.

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of phthalate ester metabolites in girls in early puberty, and the associated environmental factors for phthalate exposure. A case-control study was conducted in which we recruited girls in early puberty, including 30 girls with premature thelarche (PT) and 26 with central precocious puberty (CPP), and 33 normal controls. The mean urine levels of monomethyl phthalate (MMP) were significantly higher in the PT group (96.5 +/- 134.0 ng/ml) than in the control group (26.4 +/- 30.0 ng/ml; p = 0.005). The levels of monobutyl phthalate (MBuP) correlated with the intake of seafood, drink and the use of plastic cups. The levels of mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) correlated with the intake of seafood and meat and exposure plastic handi-wrap. Significantly higher MMP in the PT girls revealed that phthalate may be one of the environmental causes of early puberty in Taiwanese girls.