Characterizing paraben exposure and source contributions in Korea: A personalized exposure factor-based approach...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Toxicology
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• Parabens are common preservatives found in diet and personal care products (PCPs).
• Accurate exposure assessment is crucial for managing risks associated with parabens.
• Traditional methods often overestimate high-end exposure levels (RME).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the Personalized Exposure Factor-Based Exposure Assessment (PerFactExpo) model for estimating aggregate paraben exposure.
• To compare PerFactExpo estimates with conventional deterministic methods.
• To identify major sources of paraben exposure in the Korean population.

Main Methods:

• Integrated individual-level dietary and product-use data from national databases.
• Developed the PerFactExpo model for personalized exposure assessment.
• Compared deterministic central tendency exposure (CTE) and reasonable maximum exposure (RME) estimates with PerFactExpo results.

Main Results:

• PerFactExpo's CTE estimates were similar to deterministic approaches.
• PerFactExpo's RME estimates were up to 7.6-fold lower than deterministic RME, reducing overestimation.
• Personal care products were major sources for methyl-, propyl-, and butylparaben; fermented soy products for ethylparaben.

Conclusions:

• The PerFactExpo model provides a more realistic assessment of aggregate paraben exposure.
• The model effectively identifies key exposure contributors for targeted risk management.
• Findings support personalized exposure assessment frameworks for consumer chemical safety.