June 26, 2012 - 05:00
By: Bjarne Røsjø
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| Paraben contents in an expensive shampoo |
Senior Researcher Torkjel M. Sandanger and a group of NILU
researchers at the Fram Centre in Tromsø have analysed 350 blood samples from
Norwegian women, and have found a very clear link between the women’s
self-reported use of cosmetic products and the level of parabens in their
blood.
Among heavy users, the level of parabens in the blood was
actually higher than levels of all other potential environmental pollutants
surveyed.
“This gives grounds for concern, because parabens are chemical
substances which can disrupt the hormonal balance in the body. Studies have
shown that substances of this kind which cause hormonal imbalance can have an
adverse impact on fertility in both women and men. They can also lead to
certain types of cancer if used over a long period of time," says
Sandanger.
"There is a pressing need for more studies to be done on
the effects these substances have on the population”.
Ban
in Denmark
Parabens are a class of chemicals used as preservatives in a large number of cosmetic products.
Parabens have been met with increasing scepticism and concern in
the past few years. Many cosmetic products also contain other chemical
substances which have unknown or harmful effects.
In Denmark, this growing concern caused the government to
introduce a ban on 15 March 2011 against the use of propyl- and butylparabens
in cosmetic products aimed at children under three years old.
The EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) had
previously taken the view that parabens did not pose a health risk, but the
Danish ban triggered a new assessment which led to the SCCS in November 2011
recommending a ban on parabens in products aimed at children under six months
old.
The European Commission, which is the executive organ of the EU,
has since followed up the scientific recommendations and is in the process of
implementing an entire EU-wide ban. The Commission also wishes to reduce the
maximum permissible level of propyl- and butylparabens in all types of cosmetic
products.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority follows the EU in such
cases, which means that the stricter regulation will also apply in Norway.
Parabens
under pressure
NILU’s research into parabens attracted a great deal of attention in 2011. In March, Sandanger appeared on “Schrödinger’s Cat”, a TV programme devoted to science and research broadcast by Norway’s NRK1 channel, in which it emerged that the programme presenter, Hanne Kari Fossum, had twice as high levels of parabens in her blood as Erik Solheim, Norway’s Minister of the Environment and International Development.
Sandanger was also interviewed on NRK1’s health and lifestyle
programme “Pulse” in November, at the same time as the Norwegian Consumer
Council launched an app which can be downloaded to smart phones to check the
contents of cosmetic products. The app, called “Hormone Check” warns consumers
if the cosmetic in question contains potentially hormone-disruptive chemicals.
The Norwegian Cosmetics Association criticised the initiative,
but the little app quickly climbed to the top of the list of the most
frequently downloaded free apps.
Up until now, it has been difficult to determine whether
parabens are capable of causing cancer or hormonal imbalance in humans, but the
researchers at NILU took a great step forward when they analysed blood samples
from women taking part in the “Women and Cancer Study”. The study is headed by
Professor Eiliv Lund at the University of Tromsø, who has gathered data and
questionnaires from more than 70 000 Norwegian women.
NILU analysed blood samples from 350 of these women and compared
them with the women’s self-reported use of skin creams and other skin care
products. NILU’s research showed that parabens are demonstrably present in
blood samples from randomly selected women.
“If these substances are in your blood, they’re also in your
liver and in every other place in your body,” explains Sandanger.
Pregnant
women should be better protected
“It’s positive that both Denmark and the EU are tightening the
rules on the use of parabens, but research suggests that we should also be
considering a ban with respect to pregnant women,” says Sandanger.
This is a complicated subject, but it has been shown that the
exposure to parabens of a foetus in the womb has more serious consequences than
exposure after birth. The EU’s Scientific Committee has nevertheless taken the
view that there is no reason to introduce such a ban until it has more
documentary evidence.
“We humans are exposed to thousands of chemicals every single
day, and the basic idea should be that we don’t need even more chemicals in our
bodies. Today, researchers must prove that there is a probability that a
substance is dangerous before the authorities can ban it, but it would be
better to apply the precautionary principle. We know little about how each substance
affects the body and the environment, but we know even less about the cocktail
effect, that is, the combined effect of multiple chemicals interacting with one
another,” warns Sandanger.
“In this area people are of course quite free to make their own
choices without waiting for stricter legislation. The Consumer Council’s app
and other aids, such as the website of the Norwegian environmental organisation
Grønn hverdag [Every Day Green], have made it quite easy for most of us to
avoid products containing parabens,” Sandanger adds.
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| Torkjel M. Sandanger |
Source:
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