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. 2024 Aug:361:142442.
doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142442. Epub 2024 May 27.

Hair product use and urinary biomarker concentrations of non-persistent endocrine disrupting chemicals among reproductive-aged Black women

Samantha Schildroth  1 , Ruth J Geller  2 , Amelia K Wesselink  2 , Sharonda M Lovett  2 , Traci N Bethea  3 , Birgit Claus Henn  4 , Quaker E Harmon  5 , Kyla W Taylor  6 , Antonia M Calafat  7 , Ganesa Wegienka  8 , Symielle A Gaston  5 , Donna D Baird  5 , Lauren A Wise  2
Affiliations

Hair product use and urinary biomarker concentrations of non-persistent endocrine disrupting chemicals among reproductive-aged Black women

Samantha Schildroth et al. Chemosphere. 2024 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Studies have shown an association between hair product use and adverse health outcomes. Scientists have hypothesized that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) drives these associations, but few studies have directly evaluated associations between hair product use and biomarkers of EDCs. Even more limited are studies of Black women, who frequently use EDC-containing products (e.g., hair relaxers).

Objective: We estimated associations between hair product use and EDC biomarker concentrations.

Methods: We leveraged cross-sectional data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids, a cohort of females aged 23-34 years who self-identified as Black/African American from the Detroit-metropolitan area (USA; n = 425). On structured questionnaires, participants reported their past 24-h and past 12-month use of hair products, including relaxers/straighteners/perms, styling products, moisturizers, oils, and hair food. We quantified urinary concentrations of 19 phthalate/phthalate alternative metabolites, 7 phenols, and 4 parabens using high performance liquid chromatography isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. EDC biomarker concentrations were creatinine-adjusted and natural log-transformed. We used multivariable linear regression to estimate mean percent differences in EDC biomarker concentrations and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with hair product use, adjusting for sociodemographic confounders.

Results: Hair product use was associated with greater concentrations of multiple EDC biomarkers. Notably, use of hair products in the previous 24 h (compared with non-use) was associated with 16.2% (95% CI = 0.7%, 35.9%), 35.0% (95% CI = 2.6%, 77.6%), and 32.3% (95% CI = 8.8%, 92.0%) higher concentrations of mono-isobutyl phthalate, methyl paraben, and ethyl paraben, respectively. Use of hair relaxers/straighteners/perms, styling products, moisturizers, oils, and hair food in the past 12 months was also associated with higher concentrations of multiple phthalate, phenol, and paraben biomarkers.

Conclusion: Hair product use was associated with higher biomarker concentrations of multiple phthalates, phenols, and parabens. These findings suggest that hair products are potentially important exposure sources for hormonally-active chemicals among Black women.

Keywords: EDCs; Hair products; Parabens; Phenols; Phthalates; Women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mean percent differences (95% CIs) in urinary EDC biomarker concentrations associated with past 24-hour hair product use in SELF (n=425). Non-use was set as the reference group. Models are adjusted for age, household income, educational attainment, employment status, and marital status, and are co-adjusted for all past 12-month and past 24-hour hair product variables. 1Hair product use in the past 24-hours included sprays, gels, oils, or mousses. 2BP3 = benzophenone-3; BPA= bisphenol A; BPF= bisphenol F; BPS= bisphenol S; MEP= monoethyl phthalate; mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MBP= mono-n-butyl phthalate; MHBP = mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MiBP= mono-isobutyl phthalate; MHiBP= mono-hydroxyisobutyl phthalate; MBzP= monobenzyl phthalate; MCPP= mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate; MEHP= mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; MEHHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate; MEOHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate; MECPP= mono (2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate; MONP = monooxononyl phthalate; MCOP= mono-carboxyisooctyl phthalate; MCNP= mono-carboxyisononyl phthalate; MECPTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl terephthalate; MEHHTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl terephthalate.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mean percent differences (95% CIs) in urinary EDC biomarker concentrations associated with hair relaxer, straightener, or perm use in the past 12-months in SELF (n=425). Non-use in the past 12-months was set as the reference group. Models are adjusted for age, household income, educational attainment, employment status, and marital status, and are co-adjusted for all past 12-month and past 24-hour hair product variables. 1Low use= 1 time/year, moderate use= 2–5 times/year, high use= ≥6 times/year. 2BP3 = benzophenone-3; BPA= bisphenol A; BPF= bisphenol F; BPS= bisphenol S; MEP= monoethyl phthalate; mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MBP= mono-n-butyl phthalate; MHBP = mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MiBP= mono-isobutyl phthalate; MHiBP= mono-hydroxyisobutyl phthalate; MBzP= monobenzyl phthalate; MCPP= mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate; MEHP= mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; MEHHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate; MEOHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate; MECPP= mono (2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate; MONP = monooxononyl phthalate; MCOP= mono-carboxyisooctyl phthalate; MCNP= mono-carboxyisononyl phthalate; MECPTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl terephthalate; MEHHTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl terephthalate.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Mean percent differences (95% CIs) in urinary EDC biomarker concentrations associated with (a) styling product and (b) moisturizing cream use in the past 12 months in SELF (n=425). Non-use in the past 12 months was set as the reference group. Models are adjusted for age, household income, educational attainment, employment status, and marital status, and are co-adjusted for all past 12-month and past 24-hour hair product variables. 1Low use= <1 time/month, moderate use= 1–3 times/month, high= ≥1 times/week. 2BP3 = benzophenone-3; BPA= bisphenol A; BPF= bisphenol F; BPS= bisphenol S; MEP= monoethyl phthalate; mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MBP= mono-n-butyl phthalate; MHBP = mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MiBP= mono-isobutyl phthalate; MHiBP= mono-hydroxyisobutyl phthalate; MBzP= monobenzyl phthalate; MCPP= mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate; MEHP= mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; MEHHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate; MEOHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate; MECPP= mono (2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate; MONP = monooxononyl phthalate; MCOP= mono-carboxyisooctyl phthalate; MCNP= mono-carboxyisononyl phthalate; MECPTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl terephthalate; MEHHTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl terephthalate.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Mean percent differences (95% CIs) in urinary EDC biomarker concentrations associated with (a) styling product and (b) moisturizing cream use in the past 12 months in SELF (n=425). Non-use in the past 12 months was set as the reference group. Models are adjusted for age, household income, educational attainment, employment status, and marital status, and are co-adjusted for all past 12-month and past 24-hour hair product variables. 1Low use= <1 time/month, moderate use= 1–3 times/month, high= ≥1 times/week. 2BP3 = benzophenone-3; BPA= bisphenol A; BPF= bisphenol F; BPS= bisphenol S; MEP= monoethyl phthalate; mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MBP= mono-n-butyl phthalate; MHBP = mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MiBP= mono-isobutyl phthalate; MHiBP= mono-hydroxyisobutyl phthalate; MBzP= monobenzyl phthalate; MCPP= mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate; MEHP= mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; MEHHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate; MEOHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate; MECPP= mono (2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate; MONP = monooxononyl phthalate; MCOP= mono-carboxyisooctyl phthalate; MCNP= mono-carboxyisononyl phthalate; MECPTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl terephthalate; MEHHTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl terephthalate.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Mean percent differences (95% CIs) in urinary EDC concentrations associated with (a) hair food and (b) hair oil use in the past 12-months in SELF (n=425). Non-use in the past 12-months was set as the reference group. Models are adjusted for age, household income, educational attainment, employment status, and marital status, and are co-adjusted for all past 12-month and past 24-hour hair product variables. 1<1 time/month or 1–3 times/month, high use= ≥1 times/week. 2BP3 = benzophenone-3; BPA= bisphenol A; BPF= bisphenol F; BPS= bisphenol S; MEP= monoethyl phthalate; mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MBP= mono-n-butyl phthalate; MHBP = mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MiBP= mono-isobutyl phthalate; MHiBP= mono-hydroxyisobutyl phthalate; MBzP= monobenzyl phthalate; MCPP= mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate; MEHP= mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; MEHHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate; MEOHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate; MECPP= mono (2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate; MONP = monooxononyl phthalate; MCOP= mono-carboxyisooctyl phthalate; MCNP= mono-carboxyisononyl phthalate; MECPTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl terephthalate; MEHHTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl terephthalate.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Mean percent differences (95% CIs) in urinary EDC concentrations associated with (a) hair food and (b) hair oil use in the past 12-months in SELF (n=425). Non-use in the past 12-months was set as the reference group. Models are adjusted for age, household income, educational attainment, employment status, and marital status, and are co-adjusted for all past 12-month and past 24-hour hair product variables. 1<1 time/month or 1–3 times/month, high use= ≥1 times/week. 2BP3 = benzophenone-3; BPA= bisphenol A; BPF= bisphenol F; BPS= bisphenol S; MEP= monoethyl phthalate; mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MBP= mono-n-butyl phthalate; MHBP = mono-hydroxybutyl phthalate; MiBP= mono-isobutyl phthalate; MHiBP= mono-hydroxyisobutyl phthalate; MBzP= monobenzyl phthalate; MCPP= mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate; MEHP= mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; MEHHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate; MEOHP= mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate; MECPP= mono (2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate; MONP = monooxononyl phthalate; MCOP= mono-carboxyisooctyl phthalate; MCNP= mono-carboxyisononyl phthalate; MECPTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl terephthalate; MEHHTP= mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl terephthalate.
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