Biomonitoring of parabens in human milk and placenta and estimated daily intake in northern Taiwan.

BackgroundParabens are widely used as antimicrobials in personal care products and pharmaceuticals. While previous studies demonstrate paraben exposure is ubiquitous, data investigating infants’ exposure is limited.ObjectiveWe sought to characterize infants’ exposure to parabens and identify factors associated with higher levels of exposure.MethodsFamilies enrolled in the CHildren’s Immune ResPonse Study between 2016-2018. Parents completed questionnaires, providing information on demographics and lifestyle factors. Urine samples were collected when infants were 1 to 3 months old (n = 71) and 12 months old (n = 29), with 18 infants evaluated at both ages. Parabens were measured in urine samples using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and served as an indicator of exposure.ResultsMethylparaben (MP), ethylparaben (EP), and propylparaben (PP) were detected in >70% of urine samples, and concentrations ranged several orders of magnitude (specific-gravity-corrected medians: MP = 25.4 PP = 3.55; EP = 0.90 ng/mL). Butylparaben was detected less frequently (<50%). Paraben concentrations were lower than those reported for older children and adults; however, we did not find statistically significant differences in paraben concentrations by infant age. Correlations between measurements taken over time were poor, suggesting paraben exposure is variable, and multiple measurements are needed to capture cumulative exposure information. We observed differences in exposure by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status; non-White infants and infants whose parents completed less education had higher paraben exposure. Recent lotion usage strongly predicted paraben exposure in 1–3-month-olds. For example, infants using lotion in the past seven days had urinary MP concentrations 355% higher than infants without lotion usage (eß = 4.55, 95% Confidence Interval = 1.68, 12.55, p < 0.001). Together, our results suggest infants are ubiquitously exposed to parabens and personal care product use may be an important source of exposure.ImpactTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to report paraben levels and evaluate predictors of exposure in infants. This study supports the hypothesis that universal exposure to parabens extends to infants, as indicated by urinary biomarker concentrations. Of the predictors evaluated, lotion use in the last seven days was the strongest predictor of exposure in 1-3-month-olds. Given infant paraben levels are strongly correlated to lotion use, there may be an opportunity for parents to reduce paraben exposure by limiting its application or consulting ingredient labels to ensure no parabens are present.

Background: EDCs are linked to adverse reproductive health outcomes, with recent work suggesting EDCs vary by acculturation measures. Personal care product (PCP) use is an important source of EDCs. Few studies have evaluated acculturation and EDC-associated PCP use among Asian women.Methods: We evaluated these associations among 315 foreign-born Chinese women ages 18-45 years, who were living in the US and seeking obstetrics-gynecology care at community health centers (Boston, MA). English-speaking ability and English language use with friends and at home indicated acculturation. PCP use (e.g. deodorant, perfume/cologne) in the past 48 hours was self-reported. We conducted multivariable logistic and Poisson regressions to determine the cross-sectional associations of acculturation measures and the use of certain types and the total number of PCPs, respectively. Latent class analysis was used to identify usage patterns.Results: Those who used more PCP types, overall and by each PCP type, tended to be more acculturated. Higher acculturation was associated with higher odds of using colored cosmetics, nail polish, and perfume/cologne in the past 48 hours. Women who spoke primarily English used 1.15 (CI: 1.01-1.31) times the number of PCP types than their non-English speaking counterparts.Conclusions: A higher degree of acculturation among Chinese women of reproductive age was associated with greater EDC-associated PCP use. These results have implications for adverse reproductive outcomes linked to EDCs.

Personal care products use and phthalate exposure levels among pregnant women

Personal care products (PCPs) use has been associated with a high risk of hormone-sensitive cancers in women. However, this association is poorly understood in hormone-sensitive cancers in men. To investigate the association between PCPs use and prostate cancer (PC) and PC histological differentiation in men from Mexico City. We analyzed the information from 400 histologically confirmed incident PC cases and 801 population controls matched by age (±5 y). The usage frequency (daily, weekly, or less, and non-use) of deodorant, body lotion, shampoo, perfume, and shaving or after-shaving products was evaluated based on a structured questionnaire. Using the K-means approach, we selected three patterns according to the usage frequency and number of PCPs used: high, intermediate, and low. Multivariable non-conditional logistic regression models adjusted by selected confounders were conducted to estimate the association between the use of PCPs (patterns, individual products, and number of products used daily) and PC, as well as PC histological differentiation. Compared to the low exposure pattern, the high (OR: 2.6 95% CI: 1.8-3.8) and intermediate (OR: 1.3 95% CI: 1.0-1.8) PCPs patterns were associated with higher odds of PC. Similarly, the intermediate exposure pattern was significantly associated with poorly differentiated PC (OR: 1.8 95% CI: 1.1-2.9). The daily use of perfume was the most consistent PCP associated with PC (OR high vs. low: 1.9 95% CI: 1.3-2.8; p for trend = 0.001) and PC poor differentiation (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1-3.6; p for trend = 0.013). In addition, a dose-response relationship was observed with the number of personal care products used daily. This study provided evidence that high exposure to personal care products (PCPs) is associated with prostate cancer. Our findings are consistent with those observed regarding hormone-sensitive female cancer and suggest the potential contribution of PCPs to prostatic carcinogenesis.

Personal care products can contain phthalates, parabens and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals. However, information on perception of risks from personal care product use and how use varies by race and ethnicity is limited. We evaluated differences in personal care product use and risk perception in a diverse sample of participants recruited from a US college campus and online. A self-administered questionnaire captured information on sociodemographic factors, personal care product use trends and perception of risk associated with them. Pearson’s chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to determine differences in personal care product use and risk perception by race and ethnicity. Ordered logistic regressions were performed to measure associations between personal care product use frequency across racial/ethnic categories. Participant (n = 770) mean age was 22.8 years [standard deviation ± 6.0]. Daily use of make-up (eye = 29.3%; other = 38.0%; all = 33.7%) and skincare products (55%) was most frequently reported among Middle Eastern and North African participants. Non-Hispanic Black participants reported the highest daily use of hairstyling products (52%) and lotion (78%). Daily make-up use was more frequently reported among females (41%) than males (24.6%). Levels of agreement were similar across racial and ethnic groups, that personal care product manufacturers should be required to list all ingredients (≥87%). There were significant associations between the frequency of use of some personal care products and racial/ethnic categories when the use frequencies of participants from other racial/ethnic categories were compared to the use frequency of non-Hispanic White participants. There were significant differences in daily use frequency, levels of trust, perception of safety and health risks associated with personal care products by race and ethnicity, underscoring that there may be different sources of exposure to chemicals in personal care products by race and ethnicity.

Objectives and rationale: Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately exposed to environmental chemicals that have been linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, metabolic disease, and premature mortality. Recent evidence suggests that personal care products are a source of such exposures and that these products are more frequently used among Black and Hispanic women. Minoritized populations also tend to experience worse breast cancer outcomes compared to White patients. However, few studies have examined personal care product use and environmental exposures among minority cancer survivors. The aim of the present study was to describe personal care product use and chemical exposures, including ambient and dermal sources of exposure, in a pilot study of Black and Hispanic breast cancer survivors. Methods: In November 2020 – December 2021, self-identified Black and Hispanic breast cancer survivors aged ≥21 years were recruited in Washington, DC and Hackensack, NJ. Eligible survivors had been diagnosed with primary Stage I-III breast cancer and had completed breast cancer treatment except endocrine therapy. Surveys collected data on demographics, breast cancer diagnosis, personal care product use, and potential covariates. Participants wore silicone wristbands for 1 week for passive sampling of environmental exposures. Extracts from the wristbands were assessed using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer to detect chemical exposures. Values were adjusted for wear time and wristband size to provide sample concentrations of detected chemicals. Results: Among the 25 study participants, 17 were Black and 8 were Hispanic, with a mean age of 58 years. Most survivors (58%) had been diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. Survivors reported using perfume (52%), make-up (80%), and nail polish (68%) during the week, with common daily use of facial creams, lotions, or moisturizers (60%) and body creams, lotions, or moisturizers (68%). Drinking bottled water every day (64%) or most days (24%); eating prepared food from a fast food restaurant at least once per week (88%); and eating food reheated in a plastic container at least once per week (71%) were also prevalent. However, the majority of survivors reported never using pesticides indoors (76%) or outdoors (79%). The wristbands detected 60 distinct chemicals. On average, 21.8 chemicals were detected per wristband and 19 chemicals were detected in more than half of the samples. Exposure to flame retardants and pesticides was ubiquitous. All participants were exposed to chemicals found in personal care products and in commercial products. Several of the most commonly detected chemicals, including benzyl salicylate (a UV light absorber and fragrance), diisobutyl phthalate (a plasticizer), and lilial (a perfume), are biologically active compounds with potential genotoxic or endocrine effects. Discussion: Exposure to environmental chemicals was ubiquitous among Black and Hispanic breast cancer survivors in DC and New Jersey. Frequent use of personal care products and commercial products suggest an opportunity to reduce potentially harmful exposures. Future studies are needed to investigate the role of environmental chemicals in health outcomes among breast cancer survivors and whether environmental exposures contribute to cancer health disparities. Citation Format: Traci N. Bethea, Jennifer Hicks, Erin Speiser, Adana Llanos, Gail E. Starr, Chiranjeev Dash, Lucile L. Adams-Campbell. A pilot study of personal care product use and exposure to environmental chemicals among Black and Hispanic breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-03-06.

Phthalates, a ubiquitous class of chemicals found in consumer, personal care, and cleaning products, have been linked to adverse health effects. Our goal was to characterize urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and to identify work and nonwork sources among custodians using traditional cleaning chemicals and 'green' or environmentally preferable products (EPP). Sixty-eight custodians provided four urine samples on a workday (first void, before shift, end of shift, and before bedtime) and trained observers recorded cleaning tasks and types of products used (traditional, EPP, or disinfectant) hourly over the work shifts. Questionnaires were used to assess personal care product use. Four different phthalate metabolites [monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monomethyl phthalate (MMP), mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), and monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP)] were quantified using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Geometric means (GM) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for creatinine-adjusted urinary phthalate concentrations. Mixed effects univariate and multivariate modeling, using a random intercept for each individual, was performed to identify predictors of phthalate metabolites including demographics, workplace factors, and personal care product use. Creatinine-adjusted urinary concentrations [GM (95% CI)] of MEP, MMP, MEHP, and MBzP were 107 (91.0-126), 2.69 (2.18-3.30), 6.93 (6.00-7.99), 8.79 (7.84-9.86) µg g(-1), respectively. An increasing trend in phthalate concentrations from before to after shift was not observed. Creatinine-adjusted urinary MEP was significantly associated with frequency of traditional cleaning chemical intensity in the multivariate model after adjusting for potential confounding by demographics, workplace factors, and personal care product use. While numerous demographics, workplace factors, and personal care products were statistically significant univariate predictors of MMP, MEHP, and MBzP, few associations persisted in multivariate models. In summary, among this population of custodians, we identified both occupational and nonoccupational predictors of phthalate exposures. Identification of phthalates as ingredients in cleaning chemicals and consumer products would allow workers and consumers to avoid phthalate exposure.

Maternal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), particularly those found in personal care products (PCPs), may affect child development. Socioeconomic inequalities in EDC exposure warrant further investigation. This study assessed the role of income and education in the association between PCP use and exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and parabens in pregnant women. Associations between PCP use and urinary concentrations of BPA and four parabens in pregnant women from the Taiwan Maternal and Infant Cohort Study were estimated using linear regression, with results expressed as the percentage change in concentrations for each additional PCP use per week. The analysis was stratified by income and education and predicted concentrations, and a 95% confidence interval (CI) was graphed according to the frequency of PCP use. Higher concentrations of methylparaben, ethylparaben, and propylparaben were associated with more frequent use of different PCPs, especially makeup. The above-lowest income group showed positive associations between frequency use of rinse-off PCPs and methylparaben (2.5%, 95%CI = 0.9%, 4.0%), propylparaben (2.8%, 95%CI = 0.3%, 5.3%), and between leave-on PCPs and methylparaben (3.1%, 95%CI = 1.8%, 4.4%), ethylparaben (2.2%, 95%CI = 0.1%, 4.2%), and propylparaben (2.8%, 95%CI = 0.8%, 4.9%). BPA was negatively associated with rinse-off PCPs (-1.2%, 95%CI = -2.3%, -0.2%). A positive association between leave-on PCPs and BPA was suggested in the lowest income group (1.7%, 95%CI = -0.4%, 3.7%). Predicted BPA concentrations were significantly higher in the lowest income group at higher frequencies of PCP use. Stratification by education showed the strongest associations in the postgraduate group for rinse-off PCPs with methylparaben (6.1%, 95%CI = 1.9%, 10.5%) and propylparaben (6.9%, 95%CI = 1.2%, 12.9%), as well as for leave-on PCPs with methylparaben (4.1%, 95%CI = 1.2%, 7.2%). The associations observed between various PCPs and parabens suggest that reducing the use of certain PCPs in pregnant women could help lower paraben exposure. Higher levels of BPA in the lowest income group require further investigation of sources of BPA exposure, especially in disadvantaged populations.

Plastic in dermatology: Impacts on human health, skin disease, and the contribution of personal care product use to environmental pollution.

It is hypothesized that certain chemicals in personal care products may alter the risk of adverse health outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to use a data-centered approach to classify complex patterns of exposure to personal care products and to understand how these patterns vary according to use of exogenous hormone exposures, oral contraceptives (OCs) and post-menopausal hormone therapy (HT). The NIEHS Sister Study is a prospective cohort study of 50,884 US women. Limiting the sample to non-Hispanic blacks and whites (N=47,019), latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify groups of individuals with similar patterns of personal care product use based on responses to 48 survey questions. Personal care products were categorized into three product types (beauty, hair, and skincare products) and separate latent classes were constructed for each type. Adjusted prevalence differences (PD) were calculated to estimate the association between exogenous hormone use, as measured by ever/never OC or HT use, and patterns of personal care product use. LCA reduced data dimensionality by grouping of individuals with similar patterns of personal care product use into mutually exclusive latent classes (three latent classes for beauty product use, three for hair, and four for skin care. There were strong differences in personal care usage by race, particularly for haircare products. For both blacks and whites, exogenous hormone exposures were associated with higher levels of product use, especially beauty and skincare products. Relative to individual product use questions, latent class variables capture complex patterns of personal care product usage. These patterns differed by race and were associated with ever OC and HT use. Future studies should consider personal care product exposures with other exogenous exposures when modeling health risks.

BackgroundPersonal care products may contain many chemicals, some of which are suspected endocrine disrupters. This is an important source of chemical exposure for women, but little is known about how chemical exposure differs among different races/ethnicities.ObjectiveThis study examines differences in personal care product use among Black, Latina, Vietnamese, Mixed Race, and White women in California.MethodsWe used a community-based participatory process to create and administer a personal care product usage survey to 321 Black, Latina, Vietnamese, Mixed Race, and White women. We used multivariate regression models with pairwise comparisons to examine the frequency of product use by race/ethnicity.ResultsWe found distinct trends of personal care product use by race/ethnicity: Latina women typically used makeup most frequently; Black women used certain hair products or styles most frequently; and Vietnamese women were most likely to use facial cleansing products compared to other races/ethnicities. Latina and Vietnamese women were less likely to try to avoid certain ingredients in their products.SignificanceThese findings can help estimate disparities in chemical exposure from personal care product use and complement future research on health inequities due to chemical exposures in the larger environmental and social context.

BACKGROUND: Compared to White women, Black women in the United States are exposed to higher, more hazardous concentrations of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are found in personal care products. Personal care product use differs by race/ethnicity across multiple product categories such as hair care, skin care, and feminine hygiene products. These differential patterns of exposure are important as they may contribute to environmental health disparities including increased risk of breast cancer, cardiometabolic outcomes, adverse birth outcomes, and uterine fibroids. We previously examined hair product use patterns among reproductive-aged Black women and found that women with higher socio-economic status were more likely to use more products. Our objective was to expand that work to include a wider range of product types including cosmetics, skin care products, nail care products, and feminine hygiene products. AIM: Identify and describe distinct personal care product use patterns and their correlates among a cohort of reproductive-aged Black women living in Detroit, Michigan. METHODS: Using self-reported data, we employed latent class analysis to determine distinct personal care product use patterns among women enrolled in the Study of Environment, Lifestyle and Fibroids. We compared self-reported sociodemographic characteristics across latent classes and examined whether classes were associated with urinary concentrations of EDCs. RESULTS: We will describe the latent classes and report their association with (1) sociodemographic characteristics, and (2) urinary concentrations of EDCs. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this work may be used to address whether product use patterns and related chemical exposures are associated with health outcomes that disproportionately impact Black women. Such information would help identify subgroups of women who may particularly benefit from intervention and potentially modifiable exposures that may be amenable to targeted public health interventions. KEYWORDS: personal care products; Black women; exposure; endocrine disrupting chemicals; latent class analysis

A comparison of personal care product use between undergraduate students attending military and non-military universities: Possible implications for exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals

In most societies, women and men systematically differ in consumption of cosmetics and household products, which are interlinked with gendered norms and occupational segregation. We investigated the differences in personal care product (PCP) use and exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) based on occupation and gender. We utilized data from the first to third Korean National Environmental Health Survey analyzing 9218 participants aged 20-59 years engaged in their current occupation for ≥3 months. Frequent PCP use (≥once/week) and exposure to EDCs were analyzed by gender and occupation. We used least-square geometric means (LSGMs) of urinary concentrations of the five EDCs adjusted for covariates. Manual occupation was most common in men and no paid occupation was most frequent in women. In general, clerical, service, and sales workers showed the highest prevalence of frequent use of hair and body products. Women used body and makeup products more frequently than men. For all five EDCs, similarly, women showed higher urinary levels in all occupation groups. When stratified by gender, the differences in urinary concentration of EDCs across occupation groups were not observed in men. Among women, clerical, service, and sales workers showed higher bisphenol A (BPA) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) levels than manual workers. Differentials in exposure to EDCs by occupation groups were not evident for men. Given the higher urinary concentration of EDCs in women compared to men, interventions to reduce the exposure to EDCs would need to focus on women, especially in clerical, service, and sales occupations.

Urinary metal concentrations among mothers and children in a Mexico City birth cohort study.