This study provides new information about the composition and concentrations of 5 parabens—preservatives in pharmaceuticals and personal care products—present in biosolids collected from 14 municipal wastewater treatment plants across the United States.
Chemicals that we use in our everyday lives, including medicines (for example, prescription and non-prescription drugs), personal hygiene products (for example, soaps and disinfectants) and their chemical additives (for example, preservatives), have been determined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and others to be present in the environment.
Parabens such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben are commonly used biocides in pharmaceuticals and personal care products to prevent harmful yeast, bacteria and mold growth. Their use as pharmaceutical preservatives began in the 1920s and broadened because of their antimicrobial properties. Production and usage of products containing parabens can result in their release to the environment through various waste streams potentially including biosolid (the solid residue left after municipal wastewater treatment) application in urban and agricultural landscapes.
According to a report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2006, approximately 8 million dry metric tons of biosolids are produced annually in the United States, about one-half of which is applied to land as fertilizer. This beneficial use of biosolids is widespread, with applications in commercial agricultural settings as well as by homeowners in gardens and landscapes.
Scientists from the USGS, Arizona State University, Colorado State University, and Stony Brook University determined the presence of five commonly used parabens collected from 14 municipal wastewater treatment plants in nine U.S. States to provide baseline concentrations of paraben content in biosolids.
All five parabens were detected in study samples at concentrations similar to those observed in previously published research. Methyl paraben and propyl paraben were detected in 100 percent of samples, ranging in concentrations from 15.9 to 203.0 nanograms per gram and 0.5 to 7.7 nanograms per gram, respectively. Ethyl paraben, butyl paraben, and benzyl paraben were detected in 63, 42, and 26 percent of samples, respectively, with maximum concentrations of 2.6, 4.3, and 3.3 nanograms per gram, respectively.
A unique aspect of the study was the temporal monitoring conducted at one wastewater treatment plant, which provided insights into temporal and seasonal variations in paraben concentrations. Paraben concentrations in biosolids were greater during the fall and winter compared to spring and summer. These seasonal changes could be related to paraben use patterns or air temperature that may affect paraben degradation during treatment.
The USGS continues to support ongoing science related to identification and quantification of the environmental sources, presence, and magnitude of contaminants in order to understand the actual as compared to the perceived health risks to humans and other organisms.
The adverse effects resulting from human exposure to parabens in the environment are unknown. Human exposure is primarily through use of paraben-containing personal care products or consumption of foods or pharmaceuticals containing parabens. According to the Food and Drug Administration there is not sufficient information showing that parabens, as they are currently used, have any adverse effect on human health, and they are continuing to review published studies on the safety of parabens.
There is evidence that bacteria can develop resistance to parabens. Given their classification as antimicrobials, future research on parabens may focus on the effects of environmental paraben exposures on indigenous microbial communities and other organisms.
This study was supported by the USGS Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology), Award Number R01ES020889 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and by award LTR 05/01/12 of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.
Related research is listed below.
Commonly Used Chemicals Transported to Agricultural Field through Municipal Biosolids Application
First National-Scale Reconnaissance of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in United States Streams
Assessing Environmental Chemical Mixtures in United States Streams
Personal Care Products, Pharmaceuticals, and Hormones Move from Septic Systems to Local Groundwater
Chemicals Found in Treated Wastewater are Transported from Streams to Groundwater
Complex Mixture of Contaminants Persists in Streams Miles from the Source
- Overview
This study provides new information about the composition and concentrations of 5 parabens—preservatives in pharmaceuticals and personal care products—present in biosolids collected from 14 municipal wastewater treatment plants across the United States.
Chemicals that we use in our everyday lives, including medicines (for example, prescription and non-prescription drugs), personal hygiene products (for example, soaps and disinfectants) and their chemical additives (for example, preservatives), have been determined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and others to be present in the environment.
Parabens such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben are commonly used biocides in pharmaceuticals and personal care products to prevent harmful yeast, bacteria and mold growth. Their use as pharmaceutical preservatives began in the 1920s and broadened because of their antimicrobial properties. Production and usage of products containing parabens can result in their release to the environment through various waste streams potentially including biosolid (the solid residue left after municipal wastewater treatment) application in urban and agricultural landscapes.
According to a report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2006, approximately 8 million dry metric tons of biosolids are produced annually in the United States, about one-half of which is applied to land as fertilizer. This beneficial use of biosolids is widespread, with applications in commercial agricultural settings as well as by homeowners in gardens and landscapes.
Scientists from the USGS, Arizona State University, Colorado State University, and Stony Brook University determined the presence of five commonly used parabens collected from 14 municipal wastewater treatment plants in nine U.S. States to provide baseline concentrations of paraben content in biosolids.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Biosolids from a wastewater treatment plant were loaded onto trucks for transport to the field. A team of USGS scientists and their colleagues collected samples of biosolids for analysis from freshly exposed surfaces created by the machinery used to load the biosolids onto trucks. All five parabens were detected in study samples at concentrations similar to those observed in previously published research. Methyl paraben and propyl paraben were detected in 100 percent of samples, ranging in concentrations from 15.9 to 203.0 nanograms per gram and 0.5 to 7.7 nanograms per gram, respectively. Ethyl paraben, butyl paraben, and benzyl paraben were detected in 63, 42, and 26 percent of samples, respectively, with maximum concentrations of 2.6, 4.3, and 3.3 nanograms per gram, respectively.
A unique aspect of the study was the temporal monitoring conducted at one wastewater treatment plant, which provided insights into temporal and seasonal variations in paraben concentrations. Paraben concentrations in biosolids were greater during the fall and winter compared to spring and summer. These seasonal changes could be related to paraben use patterns or air temperature that may affect paraben degradation during treatment.
The USGS continues to support ongoing science related to identification and quantification of the environmental sources, presence, and magnitude of contaminants in order to understand the actual as compared to the perceived health risks to humans and other organisms.
The adverse effects resulting from human exposure to parabens in the environment are unknown. Human exposure is primarily through use of paraben-containing personal care products or consumption of foods or pharmaceuticals containing parabens. According to the Food and Drug Administration there is not sufficient information showing that parabens, as they are currently used, have any adverse effect on human health, and they are continuing to review published studies on the safety of parabens.
There is evidence that bacteria can develop resistance to parabens. Given their classification as antimicrobials, future research on parabens may focus on the effects of environmental paraben exposures on indigenous microbial communities and other organisms.
This study was supported by the USGS Environmental Health Program (Toxic Substances Hydrology and Contaminant Biology), Award Number R01ES020889 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and by award LTR 05/01/12 of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.
- Science
Related research is listed below.
Commonly Used Chemicals Transported to Agricultural Field through Municipal Biosolids Application
Commonly used chemicals (including fragrances, detergents, fire retardants, plasticizers, and antibacterials) transferred to wastewater treatment plants were detected in municipal wastewater biosolids applied to agricultural field plots and subsequently detected in the runoff transported from the plots during precipitation events.First National-Scale Reconnaissance of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in United States Streams
Neonicotinoid insecticides (neonicotinoids) were present in a little more than half of the streams sampled across the United States and Puerto Rico, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study. This is the first national-scale study of the presence of neonicotinoids in urban and agricultural land use settings across the Nation and was completed as part of ongoing USGS investigations of...Assessing Environmental Chemical Mixtures in United States Streams
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are collaborating on a field-based study of chemical mixture composition and environmental effects in stream waters affected by a wide range of human activities and contaminant sources.Personal Care Products, Pharmaceuticals, and Hormones Move from Septic Systems to Local Groundwater
Pharmaceuticals, hormones, personal care products, and other contaminants of concern associated with everyday household activities were found in adjacent shallow groundwater near two septic system networks in New York (NY) and New England (NE). Factors influencing movement to shallow groundwater and the types of chemicals found include population served by a septic system, site conditions such as...Chemicals Found in Treated Wastewater are Transported from Streams to Groundwater
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists studying a midwestern stream conclude that pharmaceuticals and other contaminants in treated wastewater effluent discharged to the stream are transported into adjacent shallow groundwater. Other mobile chemicals found in wastewater are expected to have similar fates.Complex Mixture of Contaminants Persists in Streams Miles from the Source
Natural processes in stream ecosystems such as dilution and microbial degradation are known to attenuate some contaminants to below levels that can cause harm to ecosystems. However, a team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists has shown that many chemicals discharged from municipal wastewater treatment facilities persist for miles downstream at levels known, or suspected, to cause adverse...