intake of phthalate tainted foods and serum thyroid hormones in taiwanese children and adolescents

www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN received: 18 March 2016 accepted: 05 July 2016 Published: 29 July 2016 Intake of Phthalate-tainted Foods and Serum Thyroid Hormones in Taiwanese Children and Adolescents Hui-Ju Tsai1,2, Chia-Fang Wu2,3, Yi-Chun Tsai4, Po-Chin Huang5, Mei-Lien Chen6, Shu-Li Wang7, Bai-Hsiun Chen8,9, Chu-Chih Chen10, Wen-Chiu Wu11, Pi-Shan Hsu12, Chao A. Hsiung10 & Ming-Tsang Wu2,3,9,13 On April-May, 2011, phthalates, mainly Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), were deliberately added to a variety of foodstuff as a substitute emulsifier in Taiwan This study investigated the relationship between DEHP-tainted foodstuffs exposure and thyroid function in possibly affected children and adolescents Two hundred fifty participants