Distribution, Variability, and Predictors of Urinary Concentrations of Phenols and Parabens among Pregnant Women in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Puerto Rico has higher rates of a range of endocrine-related diseases and disorders compared to the United States. However, little is known to date about human exposures to known or potential endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in Puerto Rico. We recruited 105 pregnant women in Northern Puerto Rico who provided urine samples and questionnaire data at three times (20±2, 24±2, and 28±2 weeks) during gestation. We measured the urinary concentrations of five phenols and three parabens: 2,4-dichlorophenol (24-DCP), 2,5-dichlorophenol (25-DCP), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), bisphenol A (BPA), triclosan (TCS), butyl paraben (B-PB), methyl paraben (M-PB), and propyl paraben (P-PB). The frequent detection of these chemicals suggests that exposure is highly prevalent among these Puerto Rican pregnant women. Urinary concentrations of TCS, BP-3 and 25-DCP were higher than among women of reproductive age in the US general population, while concentrations of BPA, 24-DCP and parabens were similar. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) varied widely between biomarkers; BPA had the lowest ICC (0.24) and BP-3 had highest (0.62), followed by 25-DCP (0.49) and TCS (0.47). We found positive associations between biomarker concentrations with self-reported use of liquid soap (TCS), sunscreen (BP-3), lotion (BP-3 and parabens), and cosmetics (parabens). Our results can inform future epidemiology studies and strategies to reduce exposure to these chemicals or their precursors.

Computational consideration on advanced oxidation degradation of phenolic preservative, methylparaben, in water: mechanisms, kinetics, and toxicity assessments

“…Parabens, a group of important PPCPs with antimicrobial and preservative properties, are widely used in toothpastes, cosmetics, textiles, and beverages [2][3][4], resulting in approximately 8000 tons of parabens consumed annually globally [5]. Among these parabens, methylparaben (MPB) has the highest concentration in various cosmetic products [6,7].…”

The Use of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products During Pregnancy

“…Ancak bu konuda yapılmış çalışmaların sayısı oldukça azdır ve bilgimize göre ülkemizde daha önce böyle bir çalışma yapılmamıştır (32)(33)(34). Çalışmalar daha çok özel bazı kimyasalları içeren ürünlerin kullanımına, kullanım sonrası vücuttaki seviyelerine ve olası etkilerine odaklanmıştır (11,17,35,36). Gebelikte kozmetiklerin kullanım sıklıklarına dair bilginin ortaya konulması, gelecekte kozmetiklerin riskli olma olasılığı bulunan içeriklerine dair maruziyet çalışmalarının daha doğru olarak planlanabilmesine imkan tanıyacaktır.…”

Impact of Pregnancy on the Levels of the Sunscreen Agent Benzophenone-3: Data from NHANES 2005-2010

“…BP-3 has been detected in urine of pregnant females and more than half of the amniotic fluid samples [5] with a high correlation of 0.53 between their concentrations in maternal urine and amniotic fluid. In a study of 105 pregnant females in Northern Puerto Rico [6], BP-3 was detected in 100% the urine samples and the levels of BP-3 among Puerto Rican pregnant females were found to be higher than females of reproductive age in general US population (52.2 ng/mL vs. 38.6 ng/mL for NHANES 2007-2008 and 36.3 ng/mL for NHANES [2009][2010]. BP-3 concentrations were found to be positively associated with birth weight and head circumference at birth [7].…”