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EVALUATION OF THE INGESTION OF PARABENS DURING THE USE OF DENTAL CARE PRODUCTS BY HEALTHY HUMAN VOLUNTEERS

MIRCEA DUMITRU CROITORU, AMALIA MIKLOS^*, ERZSÉBET FOGARASI, MARIA MARGARETA COMAN, IBOLYA FÜLÖP

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Parabens are effective antibacterial agents for the cosmetic and food industries. Methyl and ethyl parabens have been considered safe by regulatory authorities and an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 10 mg/kg bw was established. Recently, animal studies linked negative health effects with the use of heavier chained parabens. Our study focused on the safe use of methyl and propyl parabens in dental care products, such as mouthwash and toothpaste. A HPLC-UV method was developed for quantifying methyl and propyl parabens in dental care products and oral fluids. The results of the study, conducted on volunteers, showed that the ingestion of methyl paraben, using mouthwash and toothpaste, was very low (only 1-2% of the ADI). The ingested amount of propyl paraben is about the same, since these compounds are coexisting ingredients of dental care products in similar concentrations. This could be considered toxicologically significant, if further studies would confirm the presumption that propyl paraben can be hundred times more toxic than methyl paraben.