Canadian Health Measures Survey: Environmental laboratory data, 2018-2019
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Released: 2021-12-14
Parabens and Phthalates in Canadians, 2007 to 2019
In their daily life, Canadians are exposed to environmental chemicals that may enter the body through ingestion, inhalation or skin contact from natural sources found in the environment or from human-made products. The risk of this exposure on their health is not always known and the sources of exposure may vary greatly.
Exposure to a selection of chemicals can be monitored by analysing blood and urine samples, a process referred to as biomonitoring. In Canada, this has been done in part through the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) since 2007.
Among all environmental chemicals, parabens and phthalates are two of particular interest. Research in the past decades has raised questions to understand exposures and their impacts on health. By measuring these chemicals regularly, it can be determined if the exposure levels of Canadians are changing over time. Recent results from the CHMS have found that the average concentrations of parabens and phthalates detected in urine have decreased significantly among Canadians from 2007 to 2019.
The average concentrations of methyl (-46%) and propyl (-58%) parabens in the Canadian population aged 3 to 79 years declined by about half from 2012-2013 to 2018-2019. A similar decrease was observed for phthalates, where concentrations in Canadians aged 6 to 49 years declined by 77% from 2007-2009 to 2018-2019.
The majority of Canadians have traces of parabens in their body
Parabens are widely used as preservatives to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold in personal care products including cosmetics, as well as in natural health products, pharmaceuticals, food and food packaging, and pest control products. Studies have shown that exposure to parabens may have adverse health effects but more research is necessary to have a better understanding of the impact of parabens on health.
Results from the 2018-2019 CHMS report that among the various types of parabens, methyl paraben was detected among most Canadians (85.3%), followed by propyl paraben (60.8%), ethyl paraben (35.1%) and butyl paraben (10.3%), making them the most common parabens found in the population.
Decreasing trend in the average concentrations of methyl paraben and propyl paraben
Results from the CHMS show that the average urinary concentrations of methyl paraben in the Canadian population in 2018-2019 (11 µg/L) were significantly lower than in 2012-2013 (21 µg/L) and 2014-2015 (17 µg/L). This represents a 46% decrease in concentrations from 2012 to 2019.
Similarly, the average concentrations of propyl paraben were significantly lower in 2018-2019 (1.2 µg/L) compared with 2012-2013 (2.9 µg/L), 2014-2015 (2.5 µg/L) and 2016-2017 (1.9 µg/L). This represents a 58% decrease in concentrations from 2012 to 2019.
In general, from 2012 to 2019, concentrations of methyl and propyl parabens were approximately two times higher in adults (20 to 79 years) compared with children and youth (3 to 19 years) (data not shown). For both types of paraben, average concentrations were significantly higher in females compared with males. These results were consistent across all collected survey cycles.
Chart 1
Average concentrations of methyl paraben measured in urine of Canadians aged 3 to 79, by sex and survey cycle, 2012 to 2019
Chart 2
Average concentrations of propyl paraben measured in urine of Canadians aged 3 to 79, by sex and survey cycle, 2012 to 2019
In 2018-2019, almost all Canadians aged 6 to 49 had detectable levels of phthalates in their system
Phthalates are used to make plastics more flexible and resilient, and as solvents in household products. Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) belongs to the family of phthalates and is commonly measured. Studies have shown that exposure to DEHP may lead to developmental, reproductive, and systemic effects related to the liver and kidneys.
Results from the 2018-2019 CHMS revealed that, overall, the average DEHP concentrations among Canadians aged 6 to 49 were significantly lower in 2018-2019 than a decade ago (2007-2009). This represents a 77% decrease in DEHP concentrations.
In 2007-2009, children (6 to 11 years) and youth (12 to 19 years) showed significantly higher DEHP concentrations compared with adults (20 to 49 years), however in 2018-2019 only children had significantly higher DEHP concentrations compared with both youth and adults.
Chart 3
Average concentrations of DEHP in Canadians aged 6 to 49, by age group and survey cycle, 2007 to 2019
As part of their shared commitment toward producing human biomonitoring data of environmental chemicals in Canada, Health Canada and Statistics Canada have been collaborating since 2007 toward a series of national reports. The most recent one, the Sixth Report on Human Biomonitoring of Environmental Chemicals in Canada, is released today by Health Canada. This report will focus on a wide range of environmental chemical exposure. In addition to this collaborative report, Health Canada will also release multiple fact sheets on environmental chemicals such as Parabens in Canadians and Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in Canadians.
It is important to note that the presence of parabens and DEHP metabolites in urine indicates a recent exposure to these chemicals. Their presence in urine does not necessarily mean that a short or long term health effect will occur. Factors such as the current level of exposure, the duration and timing of exposure and the toxicity of the chemical are important considerations when determining whether a health effect may occur.
About Parabens and DEHP
In 2020, the Government of Canada completed a draft screening assessment of parabens under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 proposing to conclude that methyl paraben, propyl paraben and butyl paraben, but not ethyl paraben, are harmful to human health. Risk management actions have also been proposed to address these health concerns, including measures to reduce exposure to methyl paraben and propyl paraben in natural health products, and inclusion of butyl paraben on the List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients.
The Government of Canada has concluded that DEHP is harmful to human health under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and has implemented tools to limit or prevent the use of DEHP in consumer products, including vinyl found in children's toys and child-care articles. DEHP is also on the List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canadians may still be exposed by using consumer products containing DEHP, including toys, child-care articles, construction materials and self-care products such as cosmetics, non-prescribed drugs and natural health products. Canadians can also be exposed to DEHP and other phthalates when they inhale indoor air or ingest food and beverages.
Note to readers
New environmental laboratory data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) for 2018-2019 are now available.
The CHMS measured parabens and their metabolites in urine of a nationally representative sample of Canadians aged 3 to 79 from Cycle 3 (2012-2013) to Cycle 6 (2018-2019).
Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites of interest, measured in the CHMS, are mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), and mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP). DEHP is presented as the sum of the concentrations of MEHP, MEHHP and MEOHP found in Canadians' urine. DEHP was measured in a nationally representative sample of Canadians aged 6 to 49 in Cycle 1 (2007-2009). In Cycle 2 (2009-2011), Cycle 5 (2016-2017) and Cycle 6 (2018-2019), the age range was expanded to 3 to 79 years. DEHP was not included in Cycle 3 (2012-2013) or Cycle 4 (2014-2015). For the purpose of this analysis, DEHP was compared between age groups spanning 6 to 49 years across survey cycles.
The detected chemicals may have a single or multiple sources, natural or anthropogenic sources. Detectable was defined as a level of paraben or DEHP analytes in the urine of a respondent equal to or greater than the limit of detection (LOD). The LOD is the lowest chemical concentration that can be accurately detected.
Concentrations of parabens and DEHP are presented as geometric means, which is a type of average that is less influenced by extreme values when data are skewed, i.e., when the data are unevenly spread towards higher values or lower values.
More than 40% of the respondents had urine concentrations less than the LOD for butyl paraben and ethyl paraben. This meant that the representative population did not have detectable levels for these analytes to calculate an average concentration. Average values are not calculated for the analyte unless there is more than 60% of the population with a urine concentration greater than the LOD. Geometric means cannot be calculated for ethyl paraben and butyl paraben due to these low detection frequencies.
Contact information
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