Exposure to biocides and its association with atopic dermatitis among children and adolescents: A population-based cross-sectional study in South Korea

Abstract

Background: Biocides have emerged as a contributor to the rising cases of atopic dermatitis among children and adolescents. Previous animal studies suggested that phenols, parabens, and pyrethroid insecticides present in these products might play a role in atopic dermatitis. However, there's limited epidemiological evidence confirming the individual or combined effects of exposure to these chemicals on atopic dermatitis in young populations. This study aimed to investigate the association between phenol, paraben, and pyrethroid metabolite levels in urine and atopic dermatitis among Korean children and adolescents Methods: We analyzed 556 preschool children (3–5 years), 701 schoolchildren (6–11 years), and 731 adolescents (12–17 years) enrolled in the 4th Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) (2018–2020). We used logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression to evaluate the association between atopic dermatitis and individual or mixed exposure to urinary triclosan (TCS), parabens (methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben), and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) levels. Results: Urinary TCS levels were positively associated with atopic dermatitis in schoolchildren. When stratified by sex, male schoolchildren exhibited an increasing prevalence of atopic dermatitis as their urinary TCS and 3-PBA levels increased. The combined effect of biocide mixtures on atopic dermatitis was also significantly increased in male schoolchildren, with TCS as the main contributor. Conclusions: These study findings suggest that biocides at levels found in Korean children and adolescents affect atopic dermatitis.

Keywords

• 3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA)
• Atopic dermatitis
• Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS)
• Parabens
• Triclosan (TCS)