Effects of consumer products chemicals ingredients and their mixtures on the estrogen receptor/androgen receptor transcriptional activation.

Abstract

Unlike the environmental pollutants or industrial chemicals, the chemicals in consumer products may pose higher levels of risks, depending on how the chemicals are used in the products and how humans interact with the products. Recently, endocrine disrupting chemicals in cosmetics, personal care products, cleaners, sunscreens, and vinyl products were analytically quantified and many active chemicals including phthalates, parabens and bisphenols were detected. This indicates a wide range of exposures from common products. In this study, 35 chemicals known to be ingredients of consumer products were selected and screened for the transactivation of estrogen receptors and androgen receptors. From the results of individual chemicals, the activity of binary/ternary mixture prepared from the agonists for the ER transcription activity was measured, and compared to the predicted values obtained by the full logistic model. The measured and the predicted values were found to be very similar. This study may suggest that prediction of mixture activity by proper models would be one of the supportive tools for the risk assessment and sound regulation of chemical mixtures which have potential endocrine disrupting effects in consumer products.