Parabens
- The text on this page is taken from an equivalent page of the IEHIAS-project.
Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. Animal tests show weak oestrogenic activity
Parabens as biomarkers
Sample collection and storage
Matrix:
- Non-invasive matrices include urine and skin, with a high potential for hair as a matrix.
- Breast tissue is only available for the study of breast cancer cases.
Kinetics:
Uptake of parabens mainly takes place through the skin
Sampling conditions:
Urine and hair samples are taken and stored using routine methods
Sample measurement
Analytical aspects:
Generally, chemical analysis includes HPLC/MS or GC/MS methods
Performance characteristics:
- Recovery estimates from the extraction procedure for breast cancer tissue gave an average recovery of around 50%.
- No information is available on inter- and intralaboratory variability.
Validation:
No internationally recognized validation schemes
Confounding factors:
Because the major source of parabens is through cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, use patterns are extremely important factors
Data interpretation
Concentrations reported in literature:
| Benzyl-paraben | Isobutyl-paraben | n-Butyl-paraben | n-Propyl-paraben | Ethyl-paraben | Methyl-paraben | Total paraben | |
| Mean (SEM) ng/g (in breast cancer tissue) | 0,0 (0,0) | 0,9 (0,4) | 2,3 (1,0) | 2,6 (0,9) | 2,0 (0,5) | 12,8 (2,2) | 20,6 (4,2) |
Dose-response/effect relationships:
No clear dose-response relations are available for humans
Time trend, geographical variation, susceptibel groups:
No information is available