Química Nova ()
A survey of parabens in commercial baby wipes from Brazil and estimation of daily exposure
Abstract
Several studies have shown endocrine-disrupting effects of parabens. Parabens are a group of antimicrobials used as preservatives in a wide variety of products, mainly in personal care products. However, little information is available regarding the occurrence of parabens in baby products. In this study, the concentrations of five commonly used parabens, methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl- and, benzyl-paraben in 50 Brazilian baby wet wipes were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. All samples contained parabens, and the total concentrations ranged from 16 to 332,470 ng g-1 (geometric mean: 5344 ng g-1). Methyl-paraben, ethyl-paraben, propyl-paraben, and butyl-paraben were found in >65% of the samples. 24 out of 50 samples exceed the permitted value of 0.4 % for methyl-paraben for their use in personal care products. Although, propyl-paraben and butyl-paraben are forbidden in cosmetic products designed for application on the nappy area of children under three years of age, the detection rate of them were 94 and 70 %, respectively. Based on the measured concentrations and use frequency of baby wipes the estimated daily intake of parabens was calculated. The median estimated daily intake values of total concentrations of parabens for babies of one year old was 391 ng kg-1 bw day-1. In conclusion, babies and children may be exposed to high levels of parabens through use of baby wipes. It is also worth to mention that two forbidden parabens were frequently detected.
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