Investigating determinants of parabens concentration in maternal urine

Parabens are used as antimicrobial preservatives in a wide range of cosmetics, foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals. There is increasing evidence that has linked paraben exposure to adverse health effects. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the determinants of urinary parabens concentration among Iranian pregnant women. The urinary concentrations of methylparaben (MeP), ethylparaben (EtP), propylparaben (PrP), and butylparaben (BuP) were measured among 117 pregnant women at their first trimester. The associations between urinary concentrations of these compounds with different variables were assessed. MeP, EtP, PrP, and BuP were detected with a median concentration of 160.1, 0.04, 7.8, and 7.5 μg/g.cre, respectively. Significant associations were observed between urinary concentrations of MeP and PrP with educational level, between MeP, PrP and BuP with plastic packaging of foodstuffs and physical activity status, and between MeP and sampling season. All the measured parabens were significantly correlated with the use of personal care products. PrP and BuP were found to be correlated to passive smoking and intake of supplements, respectively. MeP and EtP showed negative significant relationships with the consumption of drinking water and MeP concentration correlated with gestational age. According to our findings, Iranian pregnant women are at high risk of exposure to parabens.