Phthalates are ubiquitous toxins found in a variety of household products. Phthalates are found in residential air, vehicle air, water, and soil. Phthalates have been shown to be endocrine active chemicals, specifically anti-androgenic. The disruption of testosterone is known to cause birth defects in male infants. Exposure to Diethyl Phthalate (dEP), Dibutyl Phthalate (dBP), Dibenzyl Phthalate (dBzP), and Diisobutyl Phthalate (diBP) was correlated with a decreased anogenital distance in male infants. This study measured the stability of Monoethyl Phthalate (mEP), Monobutyl Phthalate (mBP), and Monoisobutyl Phthalate (miBP) and their glucuronides at pH 4, 6, and 8 in urine. The urine was pooled from anonymous donors. PH 4 samples were acidified with formic acid. PH 8 samples were alkalized with Ammonium Hydroxide. Samples were purified by solid phase extraction. Samples were separated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and detected by Electrospray Ionization tandem Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). No samples were found to be statistically different from the control.
