Paraben Compounds—Part I: An Overview of Their Characteristics, Detection, and Impacts

Abstract

Parabens are widely used in different industries as preservatives and antimicrobial compounds. The evolution of analytical techniques allowed the detection of these compounds in different sources at µg/L and ng/L. Until today, parabens were already found in water sources, air, soil and even in human tissues. The impact of parabens in humans, animals and in ecosystems are a matter of discussion within the scientific community, but it is proven that parabens can act as endocrine disruptors, and some reports suggest that they are carcinogenic compounds. The presence of parabens in ecosystems is mainly related to wastewater discharges. This work gives an overview about the paraben problem, starting with their characteristics and applications. Moreover, the dangers related to their usage were addressed through the evaluation of toxicological studies over different species as well as of humans. Considering this, paraben detection in different water sources, wastewater treatment plants, humans and animals was analyzed based on literature results. A review of European legislation regarding parabens was also performed, presenting some considerations for the use of parabens.

Screening on the sorption of emerging contaminants to polystyrene and polyethylene and use of coagulation – flocculation process for microplastics’ removal

“…Based to the results of the Control experiments, it seems that none of the compounds are hydrolysed or sorbed to the glass of serum bottles. Similar observations for the stability of target micropollutants have also been reported in previous studies (Ia trou et al, 2017;Lincho et al, 2021). Concerning their sorption to MPs, important sorption was noticed for VAL and LOS, when PS was used as sorbent material (Figure 1).…”

Topical Moisturisers for the Management of Psoriasis Vulgaris

“…Preservatives are essential components of water-based topical moisturiser formulations and skincare products in general, as they protect products from potentially harmful bacteria. Without preservatives, water-based products would have a very short shelf life and would, for the most part, have to be stored at lower temperatures [59,60]. Parabens such as methyparaben and propylparaben are arguably the most commonly used preservative ingredients.…”

“…While parabens exact mechanism of action is not well understood, it is thought to involve the disruption of a pathogen's cell membrane transport processes [62] and the inhibition of DNA/RNA synthesis [63] but it is generally believed that their inhibitory effects on membrane transport and mitochondrial functional processes are key to their antimicrobial actions [64]. The popularity of parabens is based on several advantages when compared to alternative preservatives, including their broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, stability over a wide temperature and pH range, low degree of systemic toxicity, low frequency of sensitisation, sufficient water solubility, well documented safety record and their lack of odour, taste or colour [59,60].…”

Cumulative Risks of Excipients in Pediatric Phytomucolytic Syrups: The Implications for Pharmacy Practice

“…In one study that involved 455 children, it was proved that exposure to propylparaben is related to aeroallergen sensitization and an increase of Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score [52]. Several studies also confirm that parabens are significantly associated with allergic diseases development [54,55]. Considering these data and the fact that paraben-sensitive individuals might be consistently exposed to parabens in everyday life by various products, the use of parabens in pediatric medicines should be avoided.…”