Personal care product use among adults in NHANES: associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and phenols and use of mouthwash and sunscreen

摘要

Personal care product use is a well-established pathway of exposure for notable endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), including phthalates, parabens, triclosan, benzophenone-3 (BP3), and bisphenol-A. We utilized questionnaire data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2012 cycles to examine associations between use of sunscreen and mouthwash and urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and phenols in a nationally representative population of US adults (n=3,529). Compared to individuals who reported “Never” using mouthwash, individuals who reported daily use had significantly elevated urinary concentrations of mono-ethyl phthalate, methyl and propyl parabens, and BP3 (28, 30, 39, and 42% higher, respectively). Individuals who reported “Always” using sunscreen had significantly higher urinary concentrations of triclosan, methyl, ethyl, and propyl parabens, and BP3 (59, 92, 102, 151, and 510% higher, respectively) compared to “Never” users of sunscreen. Associations between exposure biomarkers and sunscreen use were stronger in women compared to men, and associations with mouthwash use were generally stronger in men compared to women. These results suggest sunscreen and mouthwash may be important exposure sources for EDCs.