Evaluation of human exposure to parabens in north eastern Poland through hair sample analysis

Abstract

Parabens (PBs) are a group of substances commonly used in industry. They also pollute the environment, penetrate into living organisms and adversely affect various internal organs. During this study, the degree of exposure of people living in Olsztyn, a city in north eastern Poland, to selected parabens most often used in industry was studied. The chemicals under investigation included: methyl paraben—MePB, ethyl paraben—EtPB, propyl paraben—PrPB, benzyl paraben BePB and butyl paraben -BuPB. To this aim, hair samples collected from the scalps of 30 volunteers were analyzed using a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry technique. All PBs studied were present in a high percentage of analyzed samples (from 76.7% in the case of BePB to 100% in the case of MePB and PrPB). The mean concentration levels were 4425.3 pg/mg for MeBP, 704.0 pg/mg for EtPB, 825.7 pg/mg for PrPB, 135.2 pg/mg for BePB and 154.5 pg/mg for BuPB. Significant differences in PB concentration levels between particular persons were visible. On the other hand, gender, age and artificial hair coloring did not cause statistically significant differences in PB levels. Obtained results have clearly indicated that people living in north eastern Poland are exposed to various PBs, and therefore these substances may affect their health status. However, the evaluation of PBs influence on human health requires further research.

The Presence of Triclosan in Human Hair Samples in Poland—A Pilot Study

“…Previous studies are not unequivocal. For example, some authors have described the influence of hair coloring on the concentration of parabens in the hair samples [ 41 ], whilst other researchers have not found differences in the concentration of these substances between humans with colored and natural hair [ 69 , 70 ]. Studies on the influence of hair coloring on TCS concentration levels have not been performed until now.…”

Hair Sample Analysis of Residents from Olsztyn, Northeastern Poland, to Evaluate Levels of Bisphenol S and Bisphenol A: A Pilot Study

“…First of all, the number of investigated samples was relatively low. Although many previous findings concerning the evaluation of the level of harmful substances were performed on similar group size [ 29 , 31 – 33 , 36 , 38 ], a study of a larger population would give more representative results. Therefore, the present study should be considered as a pilot study and the monitoring of human exposure to bisphenols in Poland should be further investigated at a larger scale.…”

“…The characteristics of the participants in the study are presented in Table 1 . The method of sample collection has been described previously by Wojtkiewicz et al [ 33 ]. Hair specimens were gained from the location above the nape of the neck, as close as possible to the scalp.…”

“…The utilization of hair examination in the evaluation of human exposure to bisphenols is a comparatively new approach. Nevertheless, in light of the previous studies, the analysis of hair samples seems to be a good alternative to other matrices for studies of human exposure to BPA and BPS [ 27 , 28 , 32 , 33 ].…”

Assessment of Endocrine Disruptor Exposure in Hospital Professionals Using Hair and Urine Analyses: An Awareness Campaign

“…MePB and PrPB had higher mean hair concentrations than EtPB and BuPB, in accordance with results recently published in the literature. [31][32][33] These results may be explained by MePB and PrPB being the most widely used parabens in daily products, 34 frequently combined to increase their antimicrobial power. 35…”