Urinary Concentrations of Parabens in a Population of Iranian Adolescent and Their Association with Sociodemographic Indicators

Parabens are widely used as preservatives in personal care products, foodstuffs, and pharmaceuticals. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential endocrine disruption effects of parabens. In the present study, the urinary concentration of four common parabens, including methylparaben (MP), ethylparaben (EP), propylparaben (PP), and butylparaben (BP), in 100 Iranian adolescents randomly referring to health services centres were analyzed using GC/MS. The association of sociodemographic and lifestyle variables, collected through questionnaire, with the concentration of parabens also were studied. Median concentrations of MP, EP, PP, and BP were 92.21, 8.46, 12.26, and 8.42 µg/g creatinine, respectively. There was a strong positive significant correlation between MP and PP (r = 0.694) and moderate to a weak correlation between the other parabens. The concentration of urinary MP in females was significantly higher than those in male (p = 0.021). There was a significant negative association between different BMI groups and MP and EP. There also was a positive significant association between the MP and age, and between MP, EP, and PP, and tobacco use. Although the estimated daily intake of the parabens was lower than the Acceptable Daily Intake, it was higher than those reported in other countries. This confirms the widespread exposure of Iranian adolescents to the paraben compounds and their association with sociodemographic factors. This was the first study reporting the urinary parabens level in Iranian adolescents, and the data can be used as a basis for assessing the risk of exposure to parabens in the Iranian population in future studies.