Prenatal Exposure to Bisphenols and Parabens and Impacts on Human Physiology

Abstract

In modern societies, living organisms are exposed daily to multiform pollution from industrial chemical products. Some of these substances have been shown to affect the endocrine system, and have been termed endocrine disruptors (EDs). Bisphenol A (BPA), which can leach from plastics, and parabens, used in cosmetic products, are among the most well-studied. Prenatal development is a vulnerable phase of human life, and disruptions during this period may have lifelong consequences. Since EDs are known to cross the placental barrier and BPA may accumulate in the fetus, “BPA-free” products have been introduced to the market. However, such products often contain alternative bisphenols (e.g. BPS, BPF) that have not yet been extensively examined or regulated. Moreover, alternative bisphenols often occur together with BPA. The human organism is thus exposed to a mixture of EDs, some of which can have additive or synergic effects. Recent findings have also shown that paraben exposure can alter bisphenol pharmacokinetics. Taking into account the widespread occurrence of various EDs and the potential multiplicity of their effects, doses of EDs currently considered safe may not actually be as safe as they appear, especially during pregnancy.

Ethylparaben induces apoptotic cell death in human placenta BeWo cells via the Caspase-3 pathway

“…However, discussions on the safety of parabens have only been underway over the past two decades. The potential effect of parabens on developing fetuses has also been debated (Kolatorova et al 2017). Collectively, the results of the present study demonstrated that ethylparaben has harmful effects on human placental BeWo cells via the dysregulation of cell cycle progression and induces cell apoptosis by the activation of Caspase-3.…”

Study on endocrine disruptors levels in raw milk from cow’s farms: Risk assessment

“…The occurrence of BPA in a widely consumed food such as milk represents a food safety concern, also at low levels (Muncke, 2009 ; Kolatorova et al , 2017 ). Therefore, to promote dairy safety, monitoring programs risk-based and focused on the most relevant chemical hazards, including EDs, should be applied into the milk chain (Santonicola and Mercogliano, 2016 ; European Commission, 2017 ; Santonicola et al , 2017a ; Santonicola et al , 2017b ; van Asselt et al , 2017 ).…”

“…It should be considered that BPA also at low-dose may have lasting effects during infant development, and the exposure of a typical Italian consumer may be higher than the reported values because of other contaminated food items. Many studies have reported the effects induced by the exposure to a specific ED, but more attention should be also focused on the potential effects of mixtures of different substances and the synergic effect on human health related to the occurrence of BPA, and other different EDs in milk (EFSA, 2015 ; Carnevali et al , 2017 ; Kolatorova et al , 2017 ).…”

Environmental Contamination and Human Exposure to Select Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: A Review

“…To prevent the endocrinedisrupting effect of BPA in babies, the European Union banned the usage of BPA-containing polycarbonates in baby bottles [49]. Several studies have reported bisphenols in various environmental matrices, such as surface water, wastewater, tap water, sediment, indoor dust, and human urine and plasma [50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57].…”