Parlett, L. E., Calafat, A. M., & Swan, S. H. (2013). Women's exposure to phthalates in relation to use of personal care products. Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, 23(2), 197-206. https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2012.105
Parlett LE, Calafat AM, Swan SH. Women's exposure to phthalates in relation to use of personal care products. Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology. 2013;23(2):197-206. doi:10.1038/jes.2012.105
Parlett, L. E., et al. "Women's exposure to phthalates in relation to use of personal care products." Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, vol. 23, no. 2, 2013, pp. 197-206.
For EndNote, Zotero or Mendeley:
Open access
Free to read
No reuse license
Open Access
Free full text on PubMed Central (PMC4097177)
RRM Academy Synopsis
Recently pregnant women who used perfume had higher urinary phthalates
An observational study of 337 recently pregnant women found that perfume users had 2.92 times higher urinary monoethyl phthalate than other women. Women reported product use over the 24 hours before a urine sample. Hair spray, nail polish and deodorant were also significantly associated with that marker. Its concentration rose with the number of products used.
Key Findings
Reported use in the previous 24 hours ranged from 7% for nail polish or remover to 91% for deodorant. A quarter of the women used nine or more products.
Adjusted for age, education and creatinine, perfume or cologne users had 2.92 times higher monoethyl phthalate concentration than other women (95% CI: 2.20–3.89). Bar soap's ratio was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.02–1.83).
Monoethyl phthalate is the primary metabolite of diethyl phthalate. Its concentrations increased with the number of personal care products used.
Perfume or cologne use was also associated with mono-n-butyl phthalate (ratio: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.14–1.66). Foundation makeup was inversely associated with mono-isobutyl phthalate (ratio: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.66–0.96).
No strong or significant correlations appeared between any product and the metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate.
Interpretation
The authors paired one urine sample with a questionnaire on product use in the previous 24 hours. The women were recently pregnant, mostly white and educated, and in their mid-20s to mid-30s. The authors conclude that daily product use exposes women to phthalates. After accounting for product use patterns, perfume was the strongest predictor of urinary monoethyl phthalate. They note that the questionnaire collected no brand names, frequency or amount, so products were grouped by category. They say this likely added misclassification of exposure that did not differ between women, with any bias likely toward no difference.
RRM Context
The paper notes that phthalates are seldom listed on product labels. United States rules do not require listing each fragrance component. It also cites work in which phthalates can disrupt development of the male reproductive organs. Adult exposure was linked to male reproductive health problems. Restorative reproductive medicine looks for root causes in both partners. Everyday chemical exposure belongs in that search.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
Several phthalates, particularly diethyl phthalate (DEP) and di-n-butyl phthalate, can be used in personal care products (PCPs) to fix fragrance and hold color. We investigated associations between women's reported use of PCPs within the 24 h before urine collection and concentrations of several urinary phthalate metabolites. Between 2002 and 2005, 337 women provided spot urine samples and answered questions regarding their use of 13 PCPs at a follow-up visit 3-36 months after pregnancy. We examined associations between urinary concentrations of several phthalate metabolites and use of PCPs using linear regression. Use of individual PCPs ranged from 7% (nail polish) to 91% (deodorant). After adjusting for age, education, and urinary creatinine, women reporting use of perfume had 2.92 times higher (95% CI: 2.20-3.89) concentration of monoethyl phthalate (MEP; the primary metabolite of DEP) than other women. Other PCPs that were significantly associated with MEP concentrations included: hair spray, nail polish, and deodorant. MEP concentrations increased with the number of PCPs used. PCP use was widespread in this group of recently pregnant women. Women's use of PCPs, particularly of perfumes and fragranced products, was positively associated with urinary concentration of multiple phthalate metabolites.
