Women's exposure to phthalates in relation to use of personal care products.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational study assessing biomarker concentrations against self-reported exposure
PubMed 23168567 · doi:10.1038/jes.2012.105
What was done
Between 2002 and 2005, 337 women attending a follow-up visit 3 to 36 months after pregnancy reported their use of 13 personal care products (PCPs) in the preceding 24 hours and provided a spot urine sample. Linear regression models adjusted for age, education, and urinary creatinine were used to estimate associations between PCP use and concentrations of urinary phthalate metabolites, focusing on monoethyl phthalate (MEP).
What was found
Reported PCP use ranged from 7% (nail polish) to 91% (deodorant). Women reporting perfume use within the prior 24 hours had 2.92 times higher urinary MEP concentrations (95% CI: 2.20-3.89) than non-users. Hair spray, nail polish, and deodorant were also significantly associated with higher MEP concentrations, and MEP concentrations rose with the total number of PCPs used.
Why it matters
These findings show that fragranced personal care products are a major modifiable source of diethyl phthalate exposure in women of reproductive age.
Limits
The study relied on a single spot urine sample to measure phthalate metabolites, which have short biological half-lives and high within-person variability. Exposure assessment depended on self-reported 24-hour product recall without information on specific brands, chemical formulations, or applied amounts. The postpartum study population may not represent all demographic groups.
Cited by
- supports Pregnant women who report using fragranced products have higher measured bodily levels of phthalates.