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Toxics
Volume 14
Issue 4
10.3390/toxics14040281
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Exposure to Urinary and Dust Parabens: Compound-Specific Risks for Pediatric Respiratory Allergic Phenotypes

by
Yangyang Zhu
1,†,
Shuang Du
1,†,
Zhiqi Lin
1,
Qingshuang Li
2,
Hao Tang
1,
Zhiping Niu
1,
Dan Norbäck
3,
Tippawan Prapamontol
4,
Chanjuan Sun
2,
Jiufeng Li
1,* and
Zhuohui Zhao
1,5,*
1
Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
2
School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
3
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
4
Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
5
Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Toxics 2026, 14(4), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040281
Submission received: 27 February 2026 / Revised: 20 March 2026 / Accepted: 21 March 2026 / Published: 26 March 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Risks and Toxicity of Emerging Contaminants)
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Abstract

Parabens, a prevalent class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), are ubiquitous in consumer products; however, their role in linking pediatric allergic phenotypes remains poorly understood. This case-control study analyzed paraben levels in urine and indoor dust as proxies for internal and external exposures and investigated their associations with allergic rhinitis only (AR Only), asthma only (AS Only), and comorbidities (AR&AS) among children in Shanghai. The concentrations for each of four paraben compounds were quantitatively measured, and multi-pollutant frameworks—including Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) and Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression—were employed to characterize the mixture exposure and risk. Propylparaben (PrP) was detectable in 100% of urine samples and over 90% of dust samples, and the concentrations ranked the highest out of the four compounds in both samples. Benzylparaben (BzP) was detected in >70% of urine samples and over 50% of dust samples at relatively lower levels. Urinary PrP exhibited significantly positive associations with all phenotypes (OR in 2.18–2.92) and BzP with the AR&AS Comorbidity (OR = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.32–9.55). Dust-borne PrP was associated with AR Only (OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.16–4.43), indicating a potential “Portal of Entry” effect via direct nasal deposition. According to BKMR and WQS analyses, urinary PrP and BzP emerged as two primary risk drivers. Using interaction analysis, an additive synergistic effect was observed between urinary PrP and BzP with parental history of allergy, suggesting heightened vulnerability to paraben exposure in genetically predisposed subgroups. In conclusion, children with respiratory allergies were associated with higher exposure to PrP and BzP and exhibited higher susceptibility in those with a parental history of allergy.
Keywords: parabens; allergic rhinitis; asthma; comorbidity; dust; indoor environment parabens; allergic rhinitis; asthma; comorbidity; dust; indoor environment
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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhu, Y.; Du, S.; Lin, Z.; Li, Q.; Tang, H.; Niu, Z.; Norbäck, D.; Prapamontol, T.; Sun, C.; Li, J.; et al. Exposure to Urinary and Dust Parabens: Compound-Specific Risks for Pediatric Respiratory Allergic Phenotypes. Toxics 2026, 14, 281. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040281

AMA Style

Zhu Y, Du S, Lin Z, Li Q, Tang H, Niu Z, Norbäck D, Prapamontol T, Sun C, Li J, et al. Exposure to Urinary and Dust Parabens: Compound-Specific Risks for Pediatric Respiratory Allergic Phenotypes. Toxics. 2026; 14(4):281. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040281

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhu, Yangyang, Shuang Du, Zhiqi Lin, Qingshuang Li, Hao Tang, Zhiping Niu, Dan Norbäck, Tippawan Prapamontol, Chanjuan Sun, Jiufeng Li, and et al. 2026. "Exposure to Urinary and Dust Parabens: Compound-Specific Risks for Pediatric Respiratory Allergic Phenotypes" Toxics 14, no. 4: 281. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040281

APA Style

Zhu, Y., Du, S., Lin, Z., Li, Q., Tang, H., Niu, Z., Norbäck, D., Prapamontol, T., Sun, C., Li, J., & Zhao, Z. (2026). Exposure to Urinary and Dust Parabens: Compound-Specific Risks for Pediatric Respiratory Allergic Phenotypes. Toxics, 14(4), 281. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040281

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