Parabens
General information
Parabens is a collection of chemical which are used as preservatives. They may occur naturally in blueberries for example and they may be man-made. They are also known by other names such as esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. According to CDC (2010), some of the most common parabens are methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. Parabens have been the subject of numerous studies that have established not only their broad spectrum of action against numerous microorganisms, but also their efficacy, stability, and their lack of side effects, (Polla, 2010)
Uses
They are used by pharmaceutical, food, beverage and cosmetic companies. They use them mainly because of their bactericidal and fungicidal properties since they repel microorganisms. Often more than one of the parabens can be found in one product. Some of the products where parabens can be found are cosmetics such as makeup, moisturizers, hair care products and shaving products, (FDA, 2007).
Toxicity
People can be exposed to parabens through touching, swallowing, or eating products that contain parabens, (CDC, 2010).
Inhalation exposure causes irritation to the respiratory tract. Contact with the eyes or skin can cause irritation, redness, pain, and/or itchiness, but patch test results show that the sensitization potential of parabens is low. Ingested butylparaben is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, metabolized, and excreted in the urine. Large doses, however, may cause irritation to the GI tract. In mice, rats, rabbits, and dogs, butylparaben was reported to be practically nontoxic., (Integrated Laboratory Systems, 2005)
It can also be associated with breast cancer since traces of it are sometimes found in the tumors.
Alternative products
According to Polla (2010), alternative to parabens are limited and if they are there, they are most likely less effective, not well tolerated topically and they might not be safe and thus pose more harm than the parabens themselves. Klauus Weber (2005) has identifies several alternatives and they are organic acids, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate and natural preservatives such as essential oils and vitamins.
Public Health Significance
Parabens pose a great risk for the public since they can affect people in many ways. The public is not also aware of their existence and so they use products without knowledge of its harm. Therefore safety measures should be taken in order to regulate the use of parabens especially in products that are oftenly used by human beings. Parabens are as well received by mixed reactions. Some term it as harmful while others term it as non-toxic. Therefore it is not clear where to put the line between its toxicity and its non-toxicity. For example CDC between the years of 2005-2005 measured parabens in the urine of more than 2,548 participants aged six years and older. It thus is a great risk to the general public and its levels should be watched.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2010), Parabens Factsheet, http://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Parabens_FactSheet.html
U.S Food and Drug Administration, (2007), http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/SelectedCosmeticIngredients/ucm128042.html
Integrated Laboratory Systems, (2005), Review of Toxicological Literature, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Ana Polla, (2010), Parabens: Politically incorrect, scientifically sound
Klaus Weber, (2005), New Alternatives to Paraben-based Preservstive Blends, Schulke & Mayr GmbH, Norderstedt Germany.
Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), (2011), Opinion on Parabens.
American Cancer Society, (2010), Antiperspirants and Breast Cancer Risk http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/antiperspirants-and-breast-cancer-risk
Golden R, Gandy J, Vollmer G, (2005), “A review of the endocrine activity of parabens and implications for potential risks to human health”.
Harvey PW, Everett D.J, (2004). “Significance of the detection of esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens) in human breast tumors”.
Darbre P.D, Aljarrah A, Miller W.R, Coldham N.G, Sauer M.J, Pope G.S (2004). “Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumours”
