Predictors and variability of urinary paraben concentrations in men and women, including before and during pregnancy

Kristen W Smith, Joe M Braun, Paige L Williams, Shelley Ehrlich, Katharine F Correia, Antonia M Calafat, Xiaoyun Ye, Jennifer Ford, Myra Keller, John D Meeker, Russ Hauser, Kristen W Smith, Joe M Braun, Paige L Williams, Shelley Ehrlich, Katharine F Correia, Antonia M Calafat, Xiaoyun Ye, Jennifer Ford, Myra Keller, John D Meeker, Russ Hauser

Abstract

Background: Parabens are suspected endocrine disruptors and ubiquitous preservatives used in personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and foods. No studies have assessed the variability of parabens in women, including during pregnancy.

Objective: We evaluated predictors and variability of urinary paraben concentrations.

Methods: We measured urinary concentrations of methyl (MP), propyl (PP), and butyl paraben (BP) among couples from a fertility center. Mixed-effects regression models were fit to examine demographic predictors of paraben concentrations and to calculate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results: Between 2005 and 2010, we collected 2,721 spot urine samples from 245 men and 408 women. The median concentrations were 112 µg/L (MP), 24.2 µg/L (PP), and 0.70 µg/L (BP). Urinary MP and PP concentrations were 4.6 and 7.8 times higher in women than men, respectively, and concentrations of both MP and PP were 3.8 times higher in African Americans than Caucasians. MP and PP concentrations were slightly more variable in women (ICC = 0.42, 0.43) than men (ICC = 0.54, 0.51), and were weakly correlated between partners (r = 0.27-0.32). Among 129 pregnant women, urinary paraben concentrations were 25-45% lower during pregnancy than before pregnancy, and MP and PP concentrations were more variable (ICCs of 0.38 and 0.36 compared with 0.46 and 0.44, respectively).

Conclusions: Urinary paraben concentrations were more variable in women compared with men, and during pregnancy compared with before pregnancy. However, results for this study population suggest that a single urine sample may reasonably represent an individual's exposure over several months, and that a single sample collected during pregnancy may reasonably classify gestational exposure.

Conflict of interest statement

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

References

    1. Andersen FA.2008Final amended report on the safety assessment of methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isopropylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben, and benzylparaben as used in cosmetic products. Int J Toxicol 27Suppl 4:1–82.
    1. Braun JM, Smith KW, Williams PL, Calafat AM, Berry K, Ehrlich S, et al. Variability of urinary phthalate metabolite and bisphenol A concentrations before and during pregnancy. Environ Health Perspect. 2012;120:739–745.
    1. Calafat AM, Ye X, Wong LY, Bishop AM, Needham LL. Urinary concentrations of four parabens in the U.S. population: NHANES 2005–2006. Environ Health Perspect. 2010;118:679–685.
    1. Darbre PD, Harvey PW. Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorption, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks. J Appl Toxicol. 2008;28(5):561–578.
    1. Duty SM, Ackerman RM, Calafat AM, Hauser R. Personal care product use predicts urinary concentrations of some phthalate monoesters. Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113:1530–1535.
    1. FDA (Food and Drug Adminstration) GRAS Substances (SCOGS) Database. 2006. Available: [accessed 13 December 2011]
    1. Golden R, Gandy J, Vollmer G. A review of the endocrine activity of parabens and implications for potential risks to human health. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2005;35(5):435–458.
    1. Hauser R, Meeker JD, Park S, Silva MJ, Calafat AM. Temporal variability of urinary phthalate metabolite levels in men of reproductive age. Environ Health Perspect. 2004;112:1734–1740.
    1. Hoberman AM, Schreur DK, Leazer T, Daston GP, Carthew P, Re T, et al. Lack of effect of butylparaben and methylparaben on the reproductive system in male rats. Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol. 2008;83(2):123–133.
    1. Hornung R, Reed L. Estimation of average concentration in the presence of nondetectable values. App Occup Environ Hyg. 1990;5:46–51.
    1. Janjua NR, Frederiksen H, Skakkebaek NE, Wulf HC, Andersson AM. Urinary excretion of phthalates and paraben after repeated whole-body topical application in humans. Int J Androl. 2008;31(2):118–130.
    1. Kang KS, Che JH, Ryu DY, Kim TW, Li GX, Lee YS. Decreased sperm number and motile activity on the F1 offspring maternally exposed to butyl p-hydroxybenzoic acid (butyl paraben). J Vet Med Sci. 2002;64(3):227–235.
    1. Mahalingaiah S, Meeker JD, Pearson KR, Calafat AM, Ye X, Petrozza J, et al. Temporal variability and predictors of urinary bisphenol A concentrations in men and women. Environ Health Perspect. 2008;116:173–178.
    1. Meeker JD, Yang T, Ye X, Calafat AM, Hauser R. Urinary concentrations of parabens and serum hormone levels, semen quality parameters, and sperm DNA damage. Environ Health Perspect. 2010;119:252–257.
    1. National Toxicology Program. Butylparaben [CAS No. 94-26-8] Review of Toxicological Literature. 2005. Available: [accessed 29 August 2011]
    1. Oishi S. Effects of butylparaben on the male reproductive system in rats. Toxicol Ind Health. 2001;17(1):31–39.
    1. Oishi S. Effects of butyl paraben on the male reproductive system in mice. Arch Toxicol. 2002a;76(7):423–429.
    1. Oishi S. Effects of propyl paraben on the male reproductive system. Food Chem Toxicol. 2002b;40(12):1807–1813.
    1. Orth DS. Use of parabens as cosmetic preservatives. Int J Dermatol. 1980;19(9):504–505.
    1. Preau JL, Jr, Wong LY, Silva MJ, Needham LL, Calafat AM. Variability over 1 week in the urinary concentrations of metabolites of diethyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate among eight adults: an observational study. Environ Health Perspect. 2010;118:1748–1754.
    1. Rosner B. Belmont, CA: Duxbury Press; 1995. Fundamentals of Biostatistics. 4th ed.
    1. Routledge EJ, Parker J, Odum J, Ashby J, Sumpter JP. Some alkyl hydroxy benzoate preservatives (parabens) are estrogenic. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1998;153(1):12–19.
    1. Shaw J, deCatanzaro D. Estrogenicity of parabens revisited: impact of parabens on early pregnancy and an uterotrophic assay in mice. Reprod Toxicol. 2009;28(1):26–31.
    1. Soni MG, Carabin IG, Burdock GA. Safety assessment of esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens). Food Chem Toxicol. 2005;43(7):985–1015.
    1. Taxvig C, Vinggaard AM, Hass U, Axelstad M, Boberg J, Hansen PR, et al. Do parabens have the ability to interfere with steroidogenesis? Toxicol Sci. 2008;106(1):206–213.
    1. Vo TT, Yoo YM, Choi KC, Jeung EB. Potential estrogenic effect(s) of parabens at the prepubertal stage of a postnatal female rat model. Reprod Toxicol. 2010;29(3):306–316.
    1. Woodruff TJ, Zota AR, Schwartz JM. Environmental chemicals in pregnant women in the United States: NHANES 2003–2004. Environ Health Perspect. 2011;119:878–885.
    1. Ye X, Bishop AM, Reidy JA, Needham LL, Calafat AM. Parabens as urinary biomarkers of exposure in humans. Environ Health Perspect. 2006a;114:1843–1846.
    1. Ye X, Kuklenyik Z, Bishop AM, Needham LL, Calafat AM. Quantification of the urinary concentrations of parabens in humans by on-line solid phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2006b;844(1):53–59.

Source: PubMed

Szponzorok és közreműködők

Egészségi állapot

Kábítószer-beavatkozások

3
Iratkozz fel