Plastic-related chemicals were found in sweat
Phthalates and some breakdown products appeared in sweat. Their concentrations differed from urine, without measuring total removal from the body.
Worth knowing: The same BUS participants also appear in the BPA, PCB/PFAS and flame-retardant articles. These are not independent replications.
The short version
The BUS study tested blood, urine and sweat for phthalates, chemicals used in plastics and other products. Some appeared in sweat even when absent from blood samples. For one breakdown product, MEHP, the median sweat-to-urine concentration ratio was 4.6 among 17 matched participants. That is a concentration comparison, not evidence that sweating removed 4.6 times as much. Other breakdown products appeared mainly or exclusively in urine.
Keep in mind
Concentration ratios do not account for the different volumes of sweat and urine produced.
What they found
MEHP was detected in all available blood, urine and sweat samples. Its median sweat-to-urine ratio was 4.6. Some other metabolites were detected in urine but not sweat.
What this means for your practice
Different chemicals leave the body differently. A result for one phthalate does not establish general detoxification.
Methods and limitations
What the researchers did
Twenty adults provided samples; usable amounts differed by fluid. Seventeen had matched data for three metabolites.
How much can this tell us?
This supports excretion of particular compounds through sweat. It does not measure a lasting fall in body stores or a health benefit.
What makes it useful
- Matched fluid measurements
What limits it
- One small shared sample
- No long-term intervention
- Different compounds behave differently
Where this study fits
Where this study fits
We score claims, not single studies. This one is part of the evidence for:
Sweat can carry some plastic-related chemicals and flame retardants. Early signal
Very low certaintySize not reportedBody signals
From the same participant group as 3 other articles in The Study, so we count them as one group of people.
Read the original
Genuis SJ et al. Human Elimination of Phthalate Compounds: Blood, Urine, and Sweat (BUS) Study. The Scientific World Journal. 2012.
DOI 10.1100/2012/615068 · PubMed 23213291