Warning: mkdir(): Permission denied in /home/virtual/lib/view_data.php on line 81

Warning: fopen(upload/ip_log/ip_log_2024-11.txt): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/virtual/lib/view_data.php on line 83

Warning: fwrite() expects parameter 1 to be resource, boolean given in /home/virtual/lib/view_data.php on line 84
Relationship between personal care products usage and triclosan exposure: the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS 2012–2014)
Skip Navigation
Skip to contents

Ann Occup Environ Med : Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

OPEN ACCESS
SEARCH
Search

Articles

Page Path
HOME > Ann Occup Environ Med > Volume 31; 2019 > Article
Research Article Relationship between personal care products usage and triclosan exposure: the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS 2012–2014)
Minkyu Park1, Seyoung Kim1, Yeji Kim1, Do Jin Nam1, Jae-Hong Ryoo1, Sinye Lim1,2orcid
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2019;31:2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-019-0283-y
Published online: January 28, 2019

1Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea

2Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea

• Received: August 31, 2018   • Accepted: January 22, 2019

© The Author(s). 2019

Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

  • 180 Views
  • 2 Download
  • 19 Web of Science
  • 16 Crossref
  • 19 Scopus
prev next
  • Background
    We aimed to find the exposure level of triclosan (TCS), a known endocrine disruptor, related to the use of personal care products using a nationally representative data of the general population in Korea.
  • Methods
    This study included data of 6288 adults aged 19 years and older (2692 men, 3596 women), based on the Second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS 2012–2014). The data were divided according to gender. The frequency and proportion of each variable were determined by dividing participants into two groups based on the top 75th percentile concentration of urinary TCS (male: 1.096 μg/g creatinine, female: 1.329 μg/g creatinine). Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using logistic regression analysis for the high TCS exposure and low TCS exposure groups.
  • Results
    Overall, the proportion of participants using personal care products was higher in women than in men. There was a significantly higher proportion of participants in the high TCS exposure group with younger age, higher education and income levels and with more frequent use of fragrance products, hair care products, body cleansers, cosmetics, and antimicrobial agents. In both men and women, ORs tended to increase with increased frequency of use of hair care products, body cleansers, and cosmetics before and after adjustment.
  • Conclusions
    Our findings demonstrate that as the frequency of use of personal care products increases, urine TCS concentration increases. Because TCS is a well-known endocrine disruptor, further studies are needed and explore other health effects with exposure to TCS in general population in Korea.
  • Electronic supplementary material
    The online version of this article (10.1186/s40557-019-0283-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Triclosan (TCS), chemical name 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol, is a synthetic antimicrobial and antifungal agent, which is widely used throughout the world. TCS is used mainly as a disinfectant in soaps, detergents, toothpaste, mouthwash, fabrics, deodorant, shampoo, and plastic additives, and it is used in many personal care products, animal products, and industry and household products [1].
TCS is absorbed into the body through the mouth and skin [2]. TCS is absorbed at a rate of nearly 100% in the oral cavity, with a half-life of 10–20 h; less than 10% is absorbed via the transdermal route, with a half-life of 1.4–2.1 days. Absorbed TCS is detected mainly in plasma, urine, and breast milk [3]; it is mostly excreted in the urine [4]. According to a pharmacokinetic study, after oral administration of 4 mg TCS, most was excreted in the urine within the first 24 h and levels had recovered to baseline within 8 days after administration [5]. These results demonstrate that urinary TCS concentrations can be used as a biomarker of TCS exposure [6]. There have been several studies indicating that urinary TCS concentrations are associated with the use of personal care products containing TCS [68].
TCS is known to be an endocrine disruptor that is structurally similar to polychlorinated biphenyls, bisphenol A, dioxins, and thyroid hormones [9]. TCS increases estradiol (E2) and progesterone secretion [10], has a similar effect as estrogen [11], and can induce hypothyroxinemia [12]. Moreover, in experiments with mice, rats, and hamsters, TCS has been associated with liver tumors [4]. Contact dermatitis, photosensitivity, contact dermatitis, skin irritation, and other conditions have also been reported in association with TCS [13, 14].
Because of these health problems, various regulations have recently been established in relation to TCS in many countries. Various studies on TCS exposure levels have also been carried out. However, studies on TCS levels in Korea and related factors have not yet been conducted. In this study, we used a nationally representative data for the general population in Korea to analyze the level of TCS exposure in the general population according to the frequency of use of personal care products, which are the main exposure source of TCS.
Study participants
This study was based on data of the Second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS 2012–2014). According to Article 14 of the Environmental Health Act, the KoNEHS is conducted every 3 years to investigate the human exposure levels of harmful environmental factors in the Korean population, explore the influencing factors, and continuously investigate the spatial and temporal distribution and change in these factors [15].
The survey area consisted of 16 cities and provinces nationwide. For the survey sample, the enumeration districts of the National Population and Housing Census 2010 were used for the sample population with the initial stratification classified by local administration. Secondary stratification was according to socioeconomic factors, using stratified multistage cluster sampling applied with proportional allocation of the square root of the population to extract 400 sample enumeration districts [16]. Approximately 15 people from each sample enumeration district were surveyed, targeting a total of 6478 Koreans aged 19 years and older. The survey consisted of an environmental exposure-related questionnaire, clinical testing, and analysis of harmful environmental substances in biological samples [15].
In this study, after excluding 190 participants with missing urinary TCS concentration data, 6288 participants (2692 men, 3596 women) were included from among a total of 6478 participants.
Variables

Variables of interest

To determine the association between TCS exposure and frequency of personal care products use, the frequency of use was classified as used rarely, less than once a week, and more than once a week. Personal care products were classified as hair care products, body cleansers, make-up products, nail care products, antibacterial agents, and fragrance products. Hair care products referred to products such as waxes, gels, and sprays. Body cleansers included foam cleansers, body wash, and shampoo, but not soap. Make-up products included cosmetic products other than basic cosmetics, such as skin care products and lotions; sun block products were also included. Antimicrobial agents refer to liquid-type antibacterial or sterilizing products [17].
Sociodemographic variables and health behavior-related variables of participants were analyzed as follows. Age and body mass index (BMI) were averaged as sociodemographic variables. Education level was classified as below a middle school graduate level, high school graduate level, or college graduate and above. Marital status was classified as unmarried, married, or other (divorced, widowed, separated), and socioeconomic status was classified into quartiles according to household income. Participants were classified as never, former or current smokers and alcohol drinkers. Participants were also categorized according to physical activity level as regularly performing no exercise, moderate exercise, or vigorous exercise.

Urinary triclosan

Urinary TCS concentration was measured using ultra performance liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) with the Xevo TQ-S (Waters Corporation, Milford, MA, USA) using a spot urine sample [18]. After hydrolyzing each urine sample with ß-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase-degrading enzyme, the metabolites of TCS were extracted with ethyl ether and measured. The measuring principle of TCS concentration was to apply a calibration curve prepared by the standard addition method with using standard solution to the sample. For the precision control in the whole analysis process, relative standard deviation (RSD) of two samples of low dose of standard solution should be less than 15% for within batch and 20% for between batch. Quality control (QC) sample was used for the accuracy control in the analysis process. The concentrations less than the method detection limit (MDL, 0.500 μg/L) were substituted with values of MDL divided by the square root of 2. The final TCS concentration for statistical analysis was calculated after adjusting urinary creatinine concentration.
Statistical analysis
The frequency and proportion of each variable were presented after stratification by gender to determine the general characteristics of participants. First, participants were divided into a high TCS exposure group and low TCS exposure group, based on the top 75th percentile concentration of urinary TCS (male: 1.096 μg/g creatinine, female: 1.329 μg/g creatinine). The frequency and proportion of each variable were then determined by gender. Chi-square tests were performed to analyze the difference in the distribution of each variable. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression for the high TCS exposure and low TCS exposure groups. Unadjusted models are presented and a multivariate adjusted model was adjusted for age, BMI, socioeconomic variables, and health behavior-related variables. IBM SPSS version 19 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for statistical analysis and the statistical significance level was set at p < 0.05.
The distribution of the independent variables in the present study was as follows (Table 1). A total 2692 (42.8%) participants were male, and 3596 (57.2%) were female. A greater percentage of men than women were college graduates or higher, and more men than women were current drinkers and smokers. In terms of fragrance products, hair care products, nail care products, antimicrobial agents, and air fresheners usage, more than half of men and women responded that they rarely used these products. More than half of men said they rarely used cosmetics and body cleansers, whereas more than half of women reported using these products once a week.
Table 1
Basic characteristics according to sociodemographic factors and several exposure factros to triclosan in study population
Category Total (n = 6288) Male (n = 2692) Female (n = 3596)
Triclosan level (μg/L) 0.35 (0.35–1.21) 0.35 (0.35–1.09) 0.35 (0.35–1.33)
Age (years) 51.6 (15.1) 51.7 (15.5) 51.4 (14.8)
BMI (kg/m2) 24.3 (3.4) 24.6 (3.2) 24.1 (3.5)
Education ≤ Middle school 2207 (35.1) 762 (28.3) 1445 (40.2)
High school 1901 (30.2) 822 (30.5) 1079 (30.0)
≥ College 2180 (34.7) 1108 (41.2) 1072 (29.8)
Marital status Single 632 (10.0) 346 (12.9) 286 (7.9)
Married 4992 (79.4) 2213 (82.2) 2779 (77.3)
Others 664 (10.6) 133 (4.9) 531 (14.8)
Household income 1st quartile 1767 (28.1) 769 (28.6) 998 (27.8)
2nd quartile 2900 (46.1) 1261 (46.8) 1639 (45.6)
3rd quartile 1563 (24.9) 634 (23.6) 929 (25.8)
4th quartile 58 (0.9) 28 (1.0) 30 (0.8)
Smoking None 4147 (66.0) 742 (27.6) 3405 (94.7)
Ex-smoker 1028 (16.3) 964 (35.8) 64 (1.8)
Current-smoker 1013 (17.7) 986 (36.6) 127 (3.5)
Alcohol None 2153 (34.2) 429 (15.9) 1724 (47.9)
Ex 412 (6.6) 274 (10.2) 138 (3.9)
Current 3723 (59.2) 1989 (73.9) 1734 (48.2)
Exercise No 3307 (52.6) 1309 (48.6) 1998 (55.6)
Moderate 709 (11.3) 284 (10.6) 425 (11.8)
Vigorous 2272 (36.1) 1099 (40.8) 1173 (32.6)
Fragrance products Rarely 5023 (79.9) 2269 (84.3) 2754 (76.6)
< Once a week 403 (6.4) 122 (4.5) 281 (7.8)
≥ Once a week 862 (13.7) 301 (11.2) 561 (15.6)
Hair care products Rarely 3838 (61.1) 1948 (72.4) 1890 (52.5)
< Once a week 732 (11.6) 251 (9.3) 481 (13.4)
≥ Once a week 1718 (27.3) 493 (18.3) 1225 (34.1)
Body cleansers Rarely 2958 (47.0) 1902 (70.7) 1056 (29.4)
< Once a week 110 (1.8) 46 (1.7) 64 (1.8)
≥ Once a week 3220 (51.2) 744 (27.6) 2476 (68.8)
Cosmetics Rarely 3154 (50.2) 2381 (88.5) 773 (21.5)
< Once a week 252 (4.0) 81 (3.0) 171 (4.8)
≥ Once a week 2882 (45.8) 230 (8.5) 2652 (73.7)
Nail care products Rarely 5325 (84.7) 2681 (99.6) 2644 (73.5)
< Once a week 678 (10.8) 8 (0.3) 670 (18.6)
≥ Once a week 285 (4.5) 3 (0.1) 282 (7.9)
Antimicrobial agents Rarely 5234 (83.2) 2320 (86.2) 2914 (81.0)
< Once a week 213 (3.4) 57 (2.1) 156 (4.4)
≥ Once a week 841 (13.4) 315 (11.7) 526 (14.6)
Air freshener Rarely 4673 (74.3) 2017 (74.9) 2656 (73.9)
< Once a week 231 (3.7) 73 (2.7) 158 (4.4)
≥ Once a week 1384 (22.0) 602 (22.4) 782 (21.7)
Data are mean (standard deviation), median (interquartile range), or number (%)
Urine TCS concentration was determined according to high and low TCS exposure groups, based on the upper 75th percentile concentration; the distribution of independent variables is presented in Table 2. The average age in the high TCS exposure group was significantly lower than that in the low exposure group. Furthermore, the urinary TCS concentration tended to decrease as age increased (See Additional file 1: Table S1). For both genders, the proportions of college graduates and participants with household income in the third quartile or higher, were significantly greater in the high TCS exposure group than in the low exposure group; the proportions of current drinkers and participants who vigorously exercised were also higher in the high TCS exposure group. Distribution by frequency of use of personal care products showed that for both genders, perfumes, hair care products, body cleansers, cosmetics, and antimicrobial agents were used more frequently in the high TCS exposure group than in the low exposure group. Additionally, more women in the high TCS exposure group reported more frequent use of nail care products.
Table 2
Basic characteristics of study population in both higha (the top 75th percentile) and low urinary concentration of triclosan group by gender
Male Female
Category Low (n = 2016) High (n = 676) p value Low (n = 2696) High (n = 900) p value
Age (years) 52.6 (15.3) 49.0 (15.9) < 0.0001 52.3 (14.7) 48.8 (14.7) < 0.0001
BMI (kg/m2) 24.5 (3.1) 24.7 (3.3) 0.219 24.1 (3.5) 23.9 (3.5) 0.034
Education ≤ Middle school 618 (30.6) 144 (21.3) < 0.0001 1162 (43.1) 283 (31.4) < 0.0001
High school 633 (31.4) 189 (28.0) 783 (29.0) 296 (32.9)
≥ College 765 (38.0) 343 (50.7) 751 (27.9) 321 (35.7)
Marital status Single 234 (11.6) 112 (16.6) 0.003 187 (6.9) 99 (11.0) < 0.0001
Married 1678 (83.2) 535 (79.1) 2088 (77.5) 691 (76.8)
Others 104 (5.2) 29 (4.3) 421 (15.6) 110 (12.2)
Household income 1st quartile 598 (29.6) 171 (29.3) 0.039 790 (29.3) 208 (23.1) < 0.0001
2nd quartile 947 (47.0) 314 (46.4) 1223 (45.4) 416 (46.2)
3rd quartile 451 (22.4) 183 (27.1) 663 (24.6) 266 (29.6)
4th quartile 20 (1.0) 8 (1.2) 20 (0.7) 10 (1.1)
Smoking None 552 (27.4) 190 (28.2) 0.898 2551 (94.6) 854 (94.9) 0.135
Ex-smoker 721 (35.8) 243 (35.9) 43 (1.6) 21 (2.3)
Current smoker 743 (36.8) 243 (35.9) 102 (3.8) 25 (2.8)
Alcohol None 333 (16.5) 96 (14.2) < 0.0001 1323 (49.1) 401 (44.5) 0.036
Ex 227 (11.3) 47 (6.9) 96 (3.6) 42 (4.7)
Current 1456 (72.2) 533 (78.9) 1277 (47.3) 457 (50.8)
Exercise No 1007 (49.9) 302 (44.7) 0.029 1538 (57.0) 460 (51.1) 0.005
Moderate 215 (10.7) 69 (10.2) 300 (11.1) 125 (13.9)
Vigorous 794 (39.4) 305 (45.1) 858 (31.9) 315 (35.0)
Fragrance products Rarely 1740 (86.3) 529 (78.3) < 0.0001 2106 (78.1) 648 (72.0) < 0.0001
< Once a week 83 (4.1) 39 (5.8) 192 (7.1) 89 (9.9)
≥ Once a week 193 (9.6) 108 (15.9) 398 (14.8) 163 (18.1)
Hair care products Rarely 1510 (74.9) 438 (64.8) < 0.0001 1442 (53.5) 448 (49.8) 0.113
< Once a week 179 (8.9) 72 (10.6) 360 (13.3) 121 (13.4)
≥ Once a week 327 (16.2) 166 (24.6) 894 (33.2) 331 (36.8)
Body cleansers Rarely 1496 (74.2) 406 (60.1) < 0.0001 858 (31.8) 198 (22.0) < 0.0001
< Once a week 13 (1.6) 13 (1.9) 49 (1.8) 15 (1.7)
≥ Once a week 487 (24.2) 257 (38.0) 1789 (66.4) 687 (76.3)
Cosmetics Rarely 1814 (90.0) 567 (83.9) < 0.0001 629 (23.3) 144 (16.0) < 0.0001
< Once a week 56 (2.8) 25 (3.7) 136 (5.0) 35 (3.9)
≥ Once a week 146 (7.2) 84 (12.4) 1931 (71.6) 721 (80.1)
Nail care products Rarely 2007 (99.5) 674 (99.7) 0.604 2024 (75.1) 620 (68.9) 0.001
< Once a week 6 (0.3) 2 (0.3) 469 (17.4) 201 (22.3)
≥ Once a week 3 (0.2) 0 (0.0) 203 (7.5) 79 (8.8)
Antimicrobial agents Rarely 1763 (87.4) 557 (82.4) 0.004 2215 (82.2) 699 (77.7) 0.008
< Once a week 38 (1.9) 19 (2.8) 114 (4.2) 42 (4.7)
≥ Once a week 215 (10.7) 100 (14.8) 367 (13.6) 159 (17.6)
Air fresheners Rarely 1517 (75.3) 500 (73.9) 0.55 2014 (74.7) 642 (71.3) 0.13
< Once a week 57 (2.8) 16 (2.4) 113 (4.2) 45 (5.0)
≥ Once a week 442 (21.9) 160 (23.7) 569 (21.1) 213 (23.7)
a Male:≥ 1.096 μg/g creatinine, female: ≥1.329 μg/g creatinine, data are mean (standard deviation), or number (%)
Logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the degree of association between the frequency of personal care products use and urinary TCS concentration according to low TCS and high TCS exposure groups (Table 3). In the case of men, fragrance products, hair care products, body cleansers, and cosmetics showed significantly higher ORs for use more than once a week versus rarely use: 1.52 (95% CI 1.16–1.98), 1.50 (95% CI 1.19–1.87), 1.67 (95% CI 1.33–2.08), and 1.60 (95% CI 1.19–2.15), respectively. In the case of women, hair care products, body cleansers, and cosmetics showed significantly higher ORs for use more than once a week versus rarely use of these products: 1.20 (95% CI 1.01–1.42), 1.28 (95% CI 1.04–1.58), and 1.33 (95% CI 1.08–1.65), respectively. Interestingly, ORs were higher in men than in women.
Table 3
Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) relating personal care products usage of high urinary concentration of triclosan (male: ≥ 1.096 μg/g creatinine, female: ≥1.329 μg/g creatinine) compared to low urinary concentration of triclosan
Male Female
Category Unadjusted Multivariate adjusted model Unadjusted Multivariate adjusted model
Fragrance products
 Rarely 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
  < Once a week 1.55 (1.04–2.29) 1.39 (0.93–2.07) 1.51 (1.15–1.97) 1.27 (0.97–1.67)
  ≥ Once a week 1.84 (1.43–2.38) 1.52 (1.16–1.98) 1.33 (1.09–1.63) 1.05 (0.84–1.30)
Hair care products
 Rarely 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
  < Once a week 1.39 (1.03–1.86) 1.39 (1.03–1.87) 1.08 (0.86–1.36) 1.21 (0.96–1.54)
  ≥ Once a week 1.75 (1.41–2.17) 1.50 (1.19–1.87) 1.19 (1.01–1.41) 1.20 (1.01–1.42)
Body cleansers
 Rarely 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
  < Once a week 1.45 (0.76–2.78) 1.20 (0.62–2.32) 1.33 (0.73–2.41) 1.20 (0.66–2.20)
  ≥ Once a week 1.95 (1.61–2.34) 1.67 (1.33–2.08) 1.66 (1.39–1.99) 1.28 (1.04–1.58)
Cosmetics
 Rarely 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
  < Once a week 1.43 (0.88–2.31) 1.21 (0.74–1.98) 1.12 (0.74–1.70) 1.04 (0.68–1.58)
  ≥ Once a week 1.84 (1.39–2.45) 1.60 (1.19–2.15) 1.63 (1.33–1.99) 1.33 (1.08–1.65)
Nail care products
 Rarely 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
  < Once a week 0.99 (0.20–4.93) 1.06 (0.21–5.30) 1.40 (1.16–1.69) 1.26 (1.04–1.53)
  ≥ Once a week 1.27 (0.97–1.67) 1.13 (0.85–1.50)
Antimicrobial agents
 Rarely 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
  < Once a week 1.58 (0.91–2.77) 1.43 (0.81–2.52) 1.17 (0.81–1.68) 0.98 (0.67–1.42)
  ≥ Once a week 1.47 (1.14–1.90) 1.27 (0.98–1.65) 1.37 (1.12–1.69) 1.17 (0.95–1.44)
Air fresheners
 Rarely 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
  < Once a week 0.85 (0.49–1.50) 0.82 (0.47–1.46) 1.25 (0.87–1.79) 1.20 (0.84–1.72)
  ≥ Once a week 1.10 (0.89–1.35) 0.96 (0.78–1.20) 1.17 (0.98–1.41) 1.03 (0.85–1.24)
Multivariate adjusted model: adjusted with age, BMI, education, marital status, household income, alcohol intake, exercise, and smoking
In this study, general characteristics for high urinary TCS concentration were younger age, higher educational level, higher household income level, drinkers, and vigorous exercise group. In a previous study in Canada, higher urinary TCS concentrations were found among women with higher education and income levels, with higher TCS exposure levels in those over 25 years of age than in those under age 25 years [19]. In the United States (US), a study among the general population showed that the higher the income, the higher the concentration of urinary TCS, in relation to age, with the highest concentrations among participants in their 30s; concentrations then gradually decreased with age [2]. On the other hand, according to a study conducted in Korea in 2009, older age and lower income levels were associated with higher urinary TCS concentration with no significant difference [20]. Explanations for the differing results among studies may be owing to differences in lifestyles, such as different frequency of use of TCS-containing consumer products; additional research is needed to clarify these differences in study findings [20]. There has been no confirmation of the common trend found among studies regarding characteristics of drinking, smoking, exercise, and BMI of participants. The high TCS exposure among young adults aged 20–30 years is important in that it can be associated with pregnancy and childbirth. TCS is an endocrine disruptor and several animal studies have found that it can affect thyroid hormone homeostasis [1]. Because thyroid hormones are essential for development of the fetal nervous system and differentiation of the brain, deficiency of thyroid hormones can cause fetal neurodevelopmental problems [2123].
According to analysis of the relationship between the frequency of use of personal care products and urinary TCS concentration, we found that the frequency of use of hair care products, body cleansers, and cosmetics were consistently related to urinary TCS concentration in both men and women. In the upper 75th percentile of urinary TCS concentration, the proportion of more frequent products use was higher than among participants with rarely products use and ORs were higher in participants who used these products more often. Similar results were found in a study of breastfeeding mothers in Sweden. Mothers who used personal care products containing TCS showed significantly higher breast milk and plasma TCS concentrations than those who did not use these products [8]. In addition, men showed higher ORs than women. Men tend to use less personal care products compared to women, which may be the cause of the larger differences between used and unused groups. These results suggest that personal care products are a major source of TCS exposure.
As a result of analyzing a list of the raw materials of cosmetics reported to the Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) by domestic manufacturers in 2015, 127 of the 100,190 (0.13%) cosmetics products manufactured in Korea were found to have used TCS [24]. It has been found that TCS is mainly used in products that are rinsed off after use, such as body cleansers and foam cleansers [24]. According to US data in 2010, 28 of 3359 eye make-up products, 10 of 4345 facial make-up products, 226 of 3070 body cleansing products, 3 of 5242 hair care products, and 42 of 2842 fragrance products contained TCS [25]. TCS is mainly found in body cleansing products and it is thought that exposure via these products is high. A smaller number of cosmetics and hair care products contain TCS, but these can result in direct exposure and TCS-containing cleansing products are often used to remove cosmetics. Therefore, urine TCS concentrations may be high depending on the use frequency of cosmetics and hair care products.
According to the results of previous studies both on TCS toxicity in humans and use of personal care products as the main exposure source of TCS, regulations on the use of TCS for personal care products have been established in many countries. In Korea, KFDA launched a new regulation with TCS concentration in personal care products, such as, body cleansing products that are rinsed off after use, deodorants (excluding spray products), face powder, and foundation like concealer, that the concentration limit of TCS in personal care products was 0.3%; moreover, TCS could not be used in toothpaste and mouthwash in 2015 [24]. In Europe, the concentration limit of TCS in mouthwash was 0.2% and that in other personal hygiene products was 0.3%. In the case of Japan, the concentration limit of TCS in all products 0.1% [24]. Although TCS regulation has started in many countries, some cosmetics and human body cleansing products still contain TCS and these products still can be purchased in countries with no regulations in place. Regulatory concentrations are set at levels that are harmless to the human body [24]; however, women of childbearing age, children, and adolescents should select products that do not contain TCS or should rinse them off thoroughly after use. It is especially important to be careful when purchasing mouthwash in some foreign countries because nearly 100% of TCS can be absorbed in the oral cavity [3].
In the present study, similar to those of other countries, we found a tendency for urinary TCS concentration to increase in younger age, higher income level and education level. The present study findings also confirmed that personal care products represent the main cause of TCS exposure. People with higher levels of income and education tend to have greater interest in personal hygiene and tend to purchase personal care products, which may lead to increased exposure to chemicals such as TCS. Likewise, young people in their 20s and 30s are more concerned about personal care than children, adolescents, and elderly adults; therefore, this young population is more exposed to TCS through greater use of personal care products. TCS in women of childbearing age can be a potential neurotoxic agent for the fetus during pregnancy [26] and can be delivered to infants through breast milk. Infants and young children are highly susceptible to toxic substances as they have rapid rates of body organ development and their processes of detoxification of toxic substances are less developed [27]. Therefore, additional research is needed to determine whether current levels of regulation are appropriate for these susceptible population.
The limitations of this study are as follows. First, we did not identify the usage amount of personal care products, only the frequency of use. Second, we did not consider the simultaneous use of other personal care products, use of other personal care products not included in the survey, and other TCS exposure factors apart from personal care products. Third, in about 60% of participants, urinary TCS concentration was measured below the detection limit. However, it did not affect the statistical analysis of this study. Fourth, the health effects of increased urinary TCS concentration were not analyzed. Despite these limitations, this study suggested the exposure level of TCS and the relationship with use of personal care products, which are major exposure sources of TCS using a representative data in Korean population.
Regulation of TCS was initiated in Korea in 2015 and it is expected that the effect of reduction of TCS exposure by the regulation will be confirmed through the analysis of third KoNEHS data, which was conducted in 2015–2017 and not publically released yet. Furthermore, children over three years old were included in the study population in the third KoNEHS, therefore, the TCS exposure level and health effects could be studied in the susceptible population. Based on future studies, it could confirm the effect of the regulation and suggest another more powerful policy to minimize TCS exposure in Korean population.
This study found out the association of the use of personal care products and the concentration of urinary TCS in general population in Korea. According to this study, the levels of urinary TCS were higher in female, younger people, and higher-income people. Because TCS is a well-known endocrine disruptor and several health problems related with exposure to TCS have suggested, further studies are needed to monitor the trend of urinary TCS level and explore other health effects with exposure to TCS in general population in Korea using a representative data for general population.
There is no conflict of interest or financial support to declare.
Funding
Not applicable.
Availability of data and materials
The data of the KoNEHS is opened to the public, therefore, any researcher can be obtained after request from the website http://meta.narastat.kr/metasvc/svc/SvcMetaDcDtaPopup.do?confmNo=106027&inputYear=2012.

BMI

Body mass index

CI

Confidence interval

KoNEHS

Korean National Environmental Health Survey

OR

Odds ratio

TCS

Triclosan
MP designed this study and wrote a draft of this manuscript. SK, YK, and DJN analyzed the data. JR provided technical support. SL performed critical revision of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
  • 1. Dann AB, Hontela A. Triclosan: environmental exposure, toxicity and mechanisms of action. J Appl Toxicol 2011;31(4):285–311. 10.1002/jat.1660. 21462230.ArticlePubMed
  • 2. Calafat AM, Ye X, Wong LY, Reidy JA, Needham LL. Urinary concentrations of triclosan in the U.S. population: 2003-2004. Environ Health Perspect 2008;116(3):303–307. 10.1289/ehp.10768. 18335095.ArticlePubMedPMC
  • 3. Cullinan MP, Palmer JE, Carle AD, West MJ, Westerman B, Seymour GJ. The influence of a triclosan toothpaste on adverse events in patients with cardiovascular disease over 5-years. Sci Total Environ 2015;508:546–552. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.11.052. 25442641.ArticlePubMed
  • 4. Rodricks JV, Swenberg JA, Borzelleca JF, Maronpot RR, Shipp AM. Triclosan: a critical review of the experimental data and development of margins of safety for consumer products. Crit Rev Toxicol 2010;40(5):422–484. 10.3109/10408441003667514. 20377306.ArticlePubMed
  • 5. Sandborgh-Englund G, Adolfsson-Erici M, Odham G, Ekstrand J. Pharmacokinetics of triclosan following oral ingestion in humans. J Toxicol Environ Health A 2006;69(20):1861–1873. 10.1080/15287390600631706. 16952905.ArticlePubMed
  • 6. Den Hond E, Paulussen M, Geens T, Bruckers L, Baeyens W, David F, et al. Biomarkers of human exposure to personal care products: results from the Flemish Environment and Health Study (FLEHS 2007-2011). Sci Total Environ 2013;463-464:102–110. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.087. 23792252.ArticlePubMed
  • 7. Allmyr M, Harden F, Toms LM, Mueller JF, McLachlan MS, Adolfsson-Erici M, et al. The influence of age and gender on triclosan concentrations in Australian human blood serum. Sci Total Environ 2008;393(1):162–167. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.12.006. 18207219.ArticlePubMed
  • 8. Allmyr M, Adolfsson-Erici M, McLachlan MS, Sandborgh-Englund G. Triclosan in plasma and milk from Swedish nursing mothers and their exposure via personal care products. Sci Total Environ 2006;372(1):87–93. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.08.007. 17007908.ArticlePubMed
  • 9. Crofton KM, Paul KB, Devito MJ, Hedge JM. Short-term in vivo exposure to the water contaminant triclosan: evidence for disruption of thyroxine. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2007;24(2):194–197. 10.1016/j.etap.2007.04.008. 21783810.ArticlePubMed
  • 10. Gee RH, Charles A, Taylor N, Darbre PD. Oestrogenic and androgenic activity of triclosan in breast cancer cells. J Appl Toxicol 2008;28(1):78–91. 10.1002/jat.1316. 17992702.ArticlePubMed
  • 11. Henry ND, Fair PA. Comparison of in vitro cytotoxicity, estrogenicity and anti-estrogenicity of triclosan, perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid. J Appl Toxicol 2013;33(4):265–272. 10.1002/jat.1736. 21935973.ArticlePubMed
  • 12. Helbing CC, van Aggelen G, Veldhoen N. Triclosan affects thyroid hormone-dependent metamorphosis in anurans. Toxicol Sci 2011;119(2):417–418. 10.1093/toxsci/kfq343. 21071727.ArticlePubMed
  • 13. Durbize E, Vigan M, Puzenat E, Girardin P, Adessi B, Desprez PH, et al. Spectrum of cross-photosensitization in 18 consecutive patients with contact photoallergy to ketoprofen: associated photoallergies to non-benzophenone-containing molecules. Contact Dermatitis 2003;48(3):144–149. 10.1034/j.1600-0536.2003.00066.x. 12755728.ArticlePubMedPDF
  • 14. Storer E, Koh KJ, Warren L. Severe contact dermatitis as a result of an antiseptic bath oil. Australas J Dermatol 2004;45(1):73–75. 10.1111/j.1440-0960.2004.00035.x. 14961916.ArticlePubMed
  • 15. Yoo J, Choi W, Jeon H, Joo Y, Lee C. Survey overview. Guidelines for using raw materials for Korean National Environmental Health Survey - the second stage ('12-'14). 2017, Incheon: Korean national institute of environmental research; 1–5.
  • 16. Yoo J, Choi W, Jeon H, Joo Y, Lee C. Sample design. Guidelines for using raw materials for Korean National Environmental Health Survey - the second stage (‘12∼‘14). 2017, Incheon: Korean national institute of environmental research; 6–15.
  • 17. Yoo J, Choi W, Jeon H, Joo Y, Lee C. Survey Items. Guidelines for using raw materials for Korean National Environmental Health Survey - the second stage (‘12∼‘14). 2017, Incheon: Korean national institute of environmental research; 28–29.
  • 18. Yoo J, Choi W, Jeon H, Joo Y, Lee C. Analysis manual of environmental noxious materials. Guidelines for using raw materials for Korean National Environmental Health Survey - the second stage ('12-'14). 2017, Incheon: Korean national institute of environmental research; 54–67.
  • 19. Arbuckle TE, Marro L, Davis K, Fisher M, Ayotte P, Belanger P, et al. Exposure to free and conjugated forms of bisphenol a and triclosan among pregnant women in the MIREC cohort. Environ Health Perspect 2015;123(4):277–284. 10.1289/ehp.1408187. 25494523.ArticlePubMedPMC
  • 20. Kim K, Park H, Yang W, Lee JH. Urinary concentrations of bisphenol a and triclosan and associations with demographic factors in the Korean population. Environ Res 2011;111(8):1280–1285. 10.1016/j.envres.2011.09.003. 21925656.ArticlePubMed
  • 21. Boas M, Feldt-Rasmussen U, Main KM. Thyroid effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2012;355(2):240–248. 10.1016/j.mce.2011.09.005. 21939731.ArticlePubMed
  • 22. Krassas GE, Poppe K, Glinoer D. Thyroid function and human reproductive health. Endocr Rev 2010;31(5):702–755. 10.1210/er.2009-0041. 20573783.ArticlePubMedPDF
  • 23. Zoeller TR, Dowling AL, Herzig CT, Iannacone EA, Gauger KJ, Bansal R. Thyroid hormone, brain development, and the environment. Environ Health Perspect 2002;110(Suppl 3):355–361. 10.1289/ehp.02110s3355.ArticlePubMedPMC
  • 24. Cosmetics Research Team. Risk assessment of cosmetics. 2017, Cheongju-si: The National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety; 151–172.
  • 25.
  • 26. Yueh MF, Tukey RH. Triclosan: a widespread environmental toxicant with many biological effects. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2016;56:251–272. 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010715-103417. 26738475.ArticlePubMedPMC
  • 27. Goldman LR. Children-unique and vulnerable. Environmental risks facing children and recommendations for response. Environ Health Perspect 1995;103(Suppl 6):13–18. 10.1289/ehp.95103s613.ArticlePubMedPMC

Figure & Data

REFERENCES

    Citations

    Citations to this article as recorded by  
    • Relationship between crustacean consumption and serum perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) cycle 4
      Sung Woo Huh, Seong-yong Cho, Seongyong Yoon, Daehwan Kim, Hyun Woo Park, Jisoo Kang, Keon Woo Kim
      Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
    • Potential application of 2D nano-layered MXene in analysing and remediating endocrine disruptor compounds and heavy metals in water
      Muhammad Nur’ Hafiz Rozaini, Kuan Shiong Khoo, Muhammad Amirul Aizat Mohd Abdah, Baranitharan Ethiraj, Mohammad Mahtab Alam, Aliya Fathima Anwar, Normawati M. Yunus, Chin Seng Liew, Jun Wei Lim, Chii-Dong Ho, Woei-Yenn Tong
      Environmental Geochemistry and Health.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
    • Relationship between the use of hair products and urine benzophenone-3: the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) cycle 4
      Siyoung Kim, Seong-yong Cho, Seongyong Yoon, Daehwan Kim, Hyun Woo Park, Jisoo Kang, Sung Woo Huh
      Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
    • Occupational differences in personal care product use and urinary concentration of endocrine disrupting chemicals by gender
      Saerom Kim, Hye Sook Min, Won Jin Lee, Seung-Ah Choe
      Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.2023; 33(2): 312.     CrossRef
    • Health risk assessment of exposure to triclosan in pregnant women using Monte Carlo simulation techniques: based on biomonitoring data
      Elham Attarian, Farzaneh Mohammadi, Karim Ebrahimpour, Malihe Moazeni, Mohammadreza Maracy, Afshin Ebrahimi, Roya Kelishadi
      Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C.2023; 41(1-2): 61.     CrossRef
    • Temporal trends in urinary concentrations of phenols, phthalate metabolites and phthalate replacements between 2000 and 2017 in Boston, MA
      Victoria S. Jiang, Antonia M. Calafat, Paige L. Williams, Jorge E. Chavarro, Jennifer B. Ford, Irene Souter, Russ Hauser, Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón
      Science of The Total Environment.2023; 898: 165353.     CrossRef
    • Evaluation of pollutants in perfumes, colognes and health effects on the consumer: a systematic review
      Zahra Kazemi, Ehsan Aboutaleb, Abbas Shahsavani, Majid Kermani, Zohre Kazemi
      Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering.2022; 20(1): 589.     CrossRef
    • Effect of Maternal Triclosan Exposure on Neonatal Thyroid‐Stimulating Hormone Levels: A Cross‐Sectional Study
      Elham Attarian, Karim Ebrahimpour, Mohammadreza Maracy, Seyede Shahrbanoo Daniali, Bahareh Shoshtari-Yeganeh, Malihe Moazeni, Afshin Ebrahimi, Roya Kelishadi, Gabriella Galluccio
      Journal of Environmental and Public Health.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
    • Association of urinary triclosan, methyl triclosan, triclocarban, and 2,4-dichlorophenol levels with anthropometric and demographic parameters in children and adolescents in 2020 (case study: Kerman, Iran)
      Habibeh Nasab, Saeed Rajabi, Moghaddameh Mirzaee, Majid Hashemi
      Environmental Science and Pollution Research.2022; 29(20): 30754.     CrossRef
    • Comprehensive insight into triclosan—from widespread occurrence to health outcomes
      Maja Milanović, Larisa Đurić, Nataša Milošević, Nataša Milić
      Environmental Science and Pollution Research.2021; 30(10): 25119.     CrossRef
    • Urinary triclosan in south China adults and implications for human exposure
      Dongfeng Yang, Sifang Kong, Feng Wang, Lap Ah Tse, Zhi Tang, Yang Zhao, Chun Li, Minhui Li, Zihan Li, Shaoyou Lu
      Environmental Pollution.2021; 286: 117561.     CrossRef
    • Investigating determinants of parabens concentration in maternal urine
      Saeid Fadaei, Hamidreza Pourzamani, Karim Ebrahimpour, Awat Feizi, Seyede Shahrbanoo Daniali, Roya Kelishadi
      Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal.2021; 27(3): 668.     CrossRef
    • The associations between personal care products use and urinary concentrations of phthalates, parabens, and triclosan in various age groups: The Korean National Environmental Health Survey Cycle 3 2015–2017
      Sinye Lim
      Science of The Total Environment.2020; 742: 140640.     CrossRef
    • Investigating exposure to endocrine disruptors via hair analysis of pregnant women
      Vasiliki Karzi, Manolis Tzatzarakis, Ioanna Katsikantami, Athina Stavroulaki, Athanasios Alegakis, Elena Vakonaki, Pelagia Xezonaki, Stavros Sifakis, Apostolos Rizos, Aristidis Tsatsakis
      Environmental Research.2019; 178: 108692.     CrossRef
    • Risk Assessment of Triclosan, a Cosmetic Preservative
      Jung Dae Lee, Joo Young Lee, Seung Jun Kwack, Chan Young Shin, Hyun-Jun Jang, Hyang Yeon Kim, Min Kook Kim, Dong-Wan Seo, Byung-Mu Lee, Kyu-Bong Kim
      Toxicological Research.2019; 35(2): 137.     CrossRef
    • Variations, Determinants, and Coexposure Patterns of Personal Care Product Chemicals among Chinese Pregnant Women: A Longitudinal Study
      Jiufeng Li, Wenyu Liu, Wei Xia, Hongzhi Zhao, Yanqiu Zhou, Yuanyuan Li, Chuansha Wu, Hongxiu Liu, Bin Zhang, Yingshuang Zhu, Jie Hu, Xianliang Wang, Dan Ye, Shunqing Xu, Zongwei Cai
      Environmental Science & Technology.2019; 53(11): 6546.     CrossRef

    • PubReader PubReader
    • ePub LinkePub Link
    • Cite
      CITE
      export Copy Download
      Close
      Download Citation
      Download a citation file in RIS format that can be imported by all major citation management software, including EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and Reference Manager.

      Format:
      • RIS — For EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and most other reference management software
      • BibTeX — For JabRef, BibDesk, and other BibTeX-specific software
      Include:
      • Citation for the content below
      Relationship between personal care products usage and triclosan exposure: the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS 2012–2014)
      Ann Occup Environ Med. 2019;31:2  Published online January 28, 2019
      Close
    • XML DownloadXML Download
    Related articles
    Relationship between personal care products usage and triclosan exposure: the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS 2012–2014)
    Relationship between personal care products usage and triclosan exposure: the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS 2012–2014)
    CategoryTotal (n = 6288)Male (n = 2692)Female (n = 3596)
    Triclosan level (μg/L)0.35 (0.35–1.21)0.35 (0.35–1.09)0.35 (0.35–1.33)
    Age (years)51.6 (15.1)51.7 (15.5)51.4 (14.8)
    BMI (kg/m2)24.3 (3.4)24.6 (3.2)24.1 (3.5)
    Education≤ Middle school2207 (35.1)762 (28.3)1445 (40.2)
    High school1901 (30.2)822 (30.5)1079 (30.0)
    ≥ College2180 (34.7)1108 (41.2)1072 (29.8)
    Marital statusSingle632 (10.0)346 (12.9)286 (7.9)
    Married4992 (79.4)2213 (82.2)2779 (77.3)
    Others664 (10.6)133 (4.9)531 (14.8)
    Household income1st quartile1767 (28.1)769 (28.6)998 (27.8)
    2nd quartile2900 (46.1)1261 (46.8)1639 (45.6)
    3rd quartile1563 (24.9)634 (23.6)929 (25.8)
    4th quartile58 (0.9)28 (1.0)30 (0.8)
    SmokingNone4147 (66.0)742 (27.6)3405 (94.7)
    Ex-smoker1028 (16.3)964 (35.8)64 (1.8)
    Current-smoker1013 (17.7)986 (36.6)127 (3.5)
    AlcoholNone2153 (34.2)429 (15.9)1724 (47.9)
    Ex412 (6.6)274 (10.2)138 (3.9)
    Current3723 (59.2)1989 (73.9)1734 (48.2)
    ExerciseNo3307 (52.6)1309 (48.6)1998 (55.6)
    Moderate709 (11.3)284 (10.6)425 (11.8)
    Vigorous2272 (36.1)1099 (40.8)1173 (32.6)
    Fragrance productsRarely5023 (79.9)2269 (84.3)2754 (76.6)
    < Once a week403 (6.4)122 (4.5)281 (7.8)
    ≥ Once a week862 (13.7)301 (11.2)561 (15.6)
    Hair care productsRarely3838 (61.1)1948 (72.4)1890 (52.5)
    < Once a week732 (11.6)251 (9.3)481 (13.4)
    ≥ Once a week1718 (27.3)493 (18.3)1225 (34.1)
    Body cleansersRarely2958 (47.0)1902 (70.7)1056 (29.4)
    < Once a week110 (1.8)46 (1.7)64 (1.8)
    ≥ Once a week3220 (51.2)744 (27.6)2476 (68.8)
    CosmeticsRarely3154 (50.2)2381 (88.5)773 (21.5)
    < Once a week252 (4.0)81 (3.0)171 (4.8)
    ≥ Once a week2882 (45.8)230 (8.5)2652 (73.7)
    Nail care productsRarely5325 (84.7)2681 (99.6)2644 (73.5)
    < Once a week678 (10.8)8 (0.3)670 (18.6)
    ≥ Once a week285 (4.5)3 (0.1)282 (7.9)
    Antimicrobial agentsRarely5234 (83.2)2320 (86.2)2914 (81.0)
    < Once a week213 (3.4)57 (2.1)156 (4.4)
    ≥ Once a week841 (13.4)315 (11.7)526 (14.6)
    Air freshenerRarely4673 (74.3)2017 (74.9)2656 (73.9)
    < Once a week231 (3.7)73 (2.7)158 (4.4)
    ≥ Once a week1384 (22.0)602 (22.4)782 (21.7)
    MaleFemale
    CategoryLow (n = 2016)High (n = 676)p valueLow (n = 2696)High (n = 900)p value
    Age (years)52.6 (15.3)49.0 (15.9)< 0.000152.3 (14.7)48.8 (14.7)< 0.0001
    BMI (kg/m2)24.5 (3.1)24.7 (3.3)0.21924.1 (3.5)23.9 (3.5)0.034
    Education≤ Middle school618 (30.6)144 (21.3)< 0.00011162 (43.1)283 (31.4)< 0.0001
    High school633 (31.4)189 (28.0)783 (29.0)296 (32.9)
    ≥ College765 (38.0)343 (50.7)751 (27.9)321 (35.7)
    Marital statusSingle234 (11.6)112 (16.6)0.003187 (6.9)99 (11.0)< 0.0001
    Married1678 (83.2)535 (79.1)2088 (77.5)691 (76.8)
    Others104 (5.2)29 (4.3)421 (15.6)110 (12.2)
    Household income1st quartile598 (29.6)171 (29.3)0.039790 (29.3)208 (23.1)< 0.0001
    2nd quartile947 (47.0)314 (46.4)1223 (45.4)416 (46.2)
    3rd quartile451 (22.4)183 (27.1)663 (24.6)266 (29.6)
    4th quartile20 (1.0)8 (1.2)20 (0.7)10 (1.1)
    SmokingNone552 (27.4)190 (28.2)0.8982551 (94.6)854 (94.9)0.135
    Ex-smoker721 (35.8)243 (35.9)43 (1.6)21 (2.3)
    Current smoker743 (36.8)243 (35.9)102 (3.8)25 (2.8)
    AlcoholNone333 (16.5)96 (14.2)< 0.00011323 (49.1)401 (44.5)0.036
    Ex227 (11.3)47 (6.9)96 (3.6)42 (4.7)
    Current1456 (72.2)533 (78.9)1277 (47.3)457 (50.8)
    ExerciseNo1007 (49.9)302 (44.7)0.0291538 (57.0)460 (51.1)0.005
    Moderate215 (10.7)69 (10.2)300 (11.1)125 (13.9)
    Vigorous794 (39.4)305 (45.1)858 (31.9)315 (35.0)
    Fragrance productsRarely1740 (86.3)529 (78.3)< 0.00012106 (78.1)648 (72.0)< 0.0001
    < Once a week83 (4.1)39 (5.8)192 (7.1)89 (9.9)
    ≥ Once a week193 (9.6)108 (15.9)398 (14.8)163 (18.1)
    Hair care productsRarely1510 (74.9)438 (64.8)< 0.00011442 (53.5)448 (49.8)0.113
    < Once a week179 (8.9)72 (10.6)360 (13.3)121 (13.4)
    ≥ Once a week327 (16.2)166 (24.6)894 (33.2)331 (36.8)
    Body cleansersRarely1496 (74.2)406 (60.1)< 0.0001858 (31.8)198 (22.0)< 0.0001
    < Once a week13 (1.6)13 (1.9)49 (1.8)15 (1.7)
    ≥ Once a week487 (24.2)257 (38.0)1789 (66.4)687 (76.3)
    CosmeticsRarely1814 (90.0)567 (83.9)< 0.0001629 (23.3)144 (16.0)< 0.0001
    < Once a week56 (2.8)25 (3.7)136 (5.0)35 (3.9)
    ≥ Once a week146 (7.2)84 (12.4)1931 (71.6)721 (80.1)
    Nail care productsRarely2007 (99.5)674 (99.7)0.6042024 (75.1)620 (68.9)0.001
    < Once a week6 (0.3)2 (0.3)469 (17.4)201 (22.3)
    ≥ Once a week3 (0.2)0 (0.0)203 (7.5)79 (8.8)
    Antimicrobial agentsRarely1763 (87.4)557 (82.4)0.0042215 (82.2)699 (77.7)0.008
    < Once a week38 (1.9)19 (2.8)114 (4.2)42 (4.7)
    ≥ Once a week215 (10.7)100 (14.8)367 (13.6)159 (17.6)
    Air freshenersRarely1517 (75.3)500 (73.9)0.552014 (74.7)642 (71.3)0.13
    < Once a week57 (2.8)16 (2.4)113 (4.2)45 (5.0)
    ≥ Once a week442 (21.9)160 (23.7)569 (21.1)213 (23.7)
    MaleFemale
    CategoryUnadjustedMultivariate adjusted modelUnadjustedMultivariate adjusted model
    Fragrance products
     Rarely1.001.001.001.00
      < Once a week1.55 (1.04–2.29)1.39 (0.93–2.07)1.51 (1.15–1.97)1.27 (0.97–1.67)
      ≥ Once a week1.84 (1.43–2.38)1.52 (1.16–1.98)1.33 (1.09–1.63)1.05 (0.84–1.30)
    Hair care products
     Rarely1.001.001.001.00
      < Once a week1.39 (1.03–1.86)1.39 (1.03–1.87)1.08 (0.86–1.36)1.21 (0.96–1.54)
      ≥ Once a week1.75 (1.41–2.17)1.50 (1.19–1.87)1.19 (1.01–1.41)1.20 (1.01–1.42)
    Body cleansers
     Rarely1.001.001.001.00
      < Once a week1.45 (0.76–2.78)1.20 (0.62–2.32)1.33 (0.73–2.41)1.20 (0.66–2.20)
      ≥ Once a week1.95 (1.61–2.34)1.67 (1.33–2.08)1.66 (1.39–1.99)1.28 (1.04–1.58)
    Cosmetics
     Rarely1.001.001.001.00
      < Once a week1.43 (0.88–2.31)1.21 (0.74–1.98)1.12 (0.74–1.70)1.04 (0.68–1.58)
      ≥ Once a week1.84 (1.39–2.45)1.60 (1.19–2.15)1.63 (1.33–1.99)1.33 (1.08–1.65)
    Nail care products
     Rarely1.001.001.001.00
      < Once a week0.99 (0.20–4.93)1.06 (0.21–5.30)1.40 (1.16–1.69)1.26 (1.04–1.53)
      ≥ Once a week1.27 (0.97–1.67)1.13 (0.85–1.50)
    Antimicrobial agents
     Rarely1.001.001.001.00
      < Once a week1.58 (0.91–2.77)1.43 (0.81–2.52)1.17 (0.81–1.68)0.98 (0.67–1.42)
      ≥ Once a week1.47 (1.14–1.90)1.27 (0.98–1.65)1.37 (1.12–1.69)1.17 (0.95–1.44)
    Air fresheners
     Rarely1.001.001.001.00
      < Once a week0.85 (0.49–1.50)0.82 (0.47–1.46)1.25 (0.87–1.79)1.20 (0.84–1.72)
      ≥ Once a week1.10 (0.89–1.35)0.96 (0.78–1.20)1.17 (0.98–1.41)1.03 (0.85–1.24)
    Table 1 Basic characteristics according to sociodemographic factors and several exposure factros to triclosan in study population

    Data are mean (standard deviation), median (interquartile range), or number (%)

    Table 2 Basic characteristics of study population in both higha (the top 75th percentile) and low urinary concentration of triclosan group by gender

    a Male:≥ 1.096 μg/g creatinine, female: ≥1.329 μg/g creatinine, data are mean (standard deviation), or number (%)

    Table 3 Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) relating personal care products usage of high urinary concentration of triclosan (male: ≥ 1.096 μg/g creatinine, female: ≥1.329 μg/g creatinine) compared to low urinary concentration of triclosan

    Multivariate adjusted model: adjusted with age, BMI, education, marital status, household income, alcohol intake, exercise, and smoking


    Ann Occup Environ Med : Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
    Close layer
    TOP