Phthalates and Parabens in Personal Care Products From China: Concentrations and Human Exposure

Abstract

Our previous studies showed that populations in China are widely exposed to phthalates and parabens. Nevertheless, sources of Chinese exposure to phthalates and parabens are not well understood. In this study, we measured concentrations of nine phthalates and six parabens in five categories of personal care products (PCPs, N = 52) collected from Tianjin, China, and estimated human exposure doses to these compounds. The most frequently detected phthalates and parabens in PCPs were diethyl phthalate (DEP) (detection frequency 54 %), methyl paraben (MeP), and n-propyl paraben (PrP) (~75 %). The concentrations of DEP in PCPs ranged from not detected (ND; <0.1 μg/g) to 937 μg/g. The highest concentrations of MeP and PrP were 2,826 and 1,564 μg/g, respectively. Median exposure dose to parabens through dermal application of PCPs in China was estimated at 18,700 μg/d, which was two orders of magnitude greater than that calculated for phthalates (45.5 μg/d). Hand and body lotions were the major contributors to exposures, and the daily exposure doses for DEP, MeP, and PrP from these products were 38.4, 10,200 and 4,890 μg, respectively.

Spatial distribution, temporal variation and risks of parabens and their chlorinated derivatives in urban surface water in Beijing, China

“…MeP and PrP were the predominant parabens in surface water, with a mean concentration of 22.4 and 19.0 ng/L, respectively. These two parabens accounted for 44.7% and 37.9% of the total paraben concentrations, which is in agreement with their wide use in numerous cosmetic products in China (Guo et al, 2014). The next two frequently used parabens, EtP (7.68 ng/L) and BuP (0.98 ng/L), were also detected in most river samples.…”

“…However, the concentrations of these parabens were at least one order of magnitude higher than those in Ebro River, Spain (MeP: 1.4-27 ng/L; EtP: n.d. (Ramaswamy et al, 2011), indicating that the level of parabens in surface water of Beijing was relatively high. Previous studies have reported that combinations of two or more parabens are often used in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals to enhance antimicrobial activity and protect against a broad range of microorganisms (Gasperi et al, 2014;Guo et al, 2014;Jonkers et al, 2010;Liao et al, 2013). As shown in Table 2, a nonparametric Spearman correlation analysis was performed on the concentrations of seven parabens.…”

Occurrence, fate and risk assessment of parabens and their chlorinated derivatives in an advanced wastewater treatment plant

“…Parabens, a group of alkyl esters of the p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), are extensively applied as antimicrobial preservatives in food commodities, industrial products, pharmaceutical and personal care products [1][2][3]. Due to their ongoing wide use and continuous introduction into the environment through domestic and industrial wastewater, parabens have been recently found in water, soil, sediment, dust and fish [4][5][6][7][8].…”

Occurrence and human exposure of parabens and their chlorinated derivatives in swimming pools

“…Parabens, a group of alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), are widely applied as antimicrobial preservatives in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals (Guo et al 2014;Yamamoto et al 2011). In general, parabens are moderately…”