Internal Exposure to BTEX in Tropical Children: Does Exposure Speed Up Pubertal Development?

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) are a common class of volatile organic compounds linked to adverse health outcomes. Although BTEX have been shown to have endocrine disrupting properties, their potential impacts on pubertal development in children remain unclear. In this study, for the first time, we investigated the possible association of BTEX exposure with precocious puberty (PP) and early puberty (EP) in children. We conducted a case-control study that included 246 children diagnosed with PP or EP and a controls category matched for sex and age. Urinary concentrations of seven BTEX metabolites and the oxidative DNA damage biomarker 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Compared with the control groups, urinary catechol (1,2-DB) levels were significantly higher in both PP (median: 85.3 vs. 42.4 μg/g creatinine) and EP children (median: 62.0 vs. 48.1 μg/g creatinine). Binary logistic regression models showed that 1,2-DB was positively associated with EP (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.69), while trans,trans-muconic acid (MU) was negatively correlated with PP (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.92), and PGA was negatively correlated with EP (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.93) adjusted for confounders. Stratified analyses showed that the relationship between BTEX metabolites and EP varied by parental education level. Our findings revealed that exposure to BTEX, especially benzene, may influence pubertal timing in children, but there was no relationship between oxidative DNA damage and PP or EP. The biological mechanism of BTEX exposure affecting pubertal development requires further investigation.