Due to the mounting evidence that phthalates, specifically di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate, produce adverse endocrine effects in humans and wildlife, the use of other chemicals as replacements has increased. One of the most commonly encountered phthalate replacements is di(isononyl)cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH). Currently, little is known about the prevalence of human exposure, bioactivity, and endocrine disrupting potential of DINCH. We sampled urine from 100 pregnant women during the second trimester of pregnancy living in Charleston, SC between 2011 and 2014 and measured the following DINCH metabolites by LC-MS/MS: cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid-mono(hydroxy-isononyl) ester (OH-MINCH), cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid-mono(oxo-isononyl) ester (oxo-MINCH), and cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid-monocarboxy isooctyl ester (cx-MINCH). These metabolites were also tested on human estrogen receptor alpha and progesterone receptor beta transactivation assays in vitro. OH-MINCH was detected in 98% of urine samples. The specific gravity-adjusted median (interquartile range) OH-MINCH concentration was 0.20 (0.25) ng/mL, and concentrations were significantly higher in African American women compared to Caucasian women (p = 0.01). DINCH metabolite concentrations were consistent between years, and they did not exhibit estrogenic or progestogenic activity in vitro. Human exposure to these emerging compounds should continue to be monitored, especially in vulnerable populations, to ensure the replacement of phthalates by DINCH is not a case of regrettable substitution.

由于越来越多的证据表明邻苯二甲酸酯，特别是邻苯二甲酸二-2-乙基己酯和邻苯二甲酸二丁酯会对人类和野生动物产生不利的内分泌影响，因此使用其他化学品作为替代品的情况有所增加。最常见的邻苯二甲酸酯替代物之一是二（异壬基）环己烷-1,2-二羧酸酯 (DINCH)。目前，人们对 DINCH 的人体暴露、生物活性和内分泌干扰潜力的流行程度知之甚少。我们在 2011 年至 2014 年间居住在南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿的 100 名怀孕中期的孕妇的尿液样本，并通过 LC-MS/MS 测量了以下 DINCH 代谢物：环己烷-1,2-二羧酸-单（羟基-异壬基）酯(OH-MINCH)、环己烷-1,2-二羧酸-单(氧代-异壬基)酯(氧代-MINCH)和环己烷-1，2-二羧酸-单羧基异辛酯（cx-MINCH）。这些代谢物还在人类雌激素受体 α 和孕激素受体 β 反式激活测定中进行了测试体外。98% 的尿液样本中检测到 OH-MINCH。比重调整的中位数（四分位间距）OH-MINCH 浓度为 0.20 (0.25) ng/mL，与白种人女性相比，非裔美国女性的浓度显着更高（p = 0.01）。DINCH 代谢物浓度在不同年份之间是一致的，并且它们在体外没有表现出雌激素或孕激素活性。应继续监测人类对这些新兴化合物的暴露情况，尤其是在弱势人群中，以确保用 DINCH 替代邻苯二甲酸酯不会令人遗憾。