The curious case of methylparaben: Anthropogenic contaminant or natural origin?

Cetinić, Katarina Ana; Grgić, Ivana; Previšić, Ana; Rožman, Marko (2022) The curious case of methylparaben: Anthropogenic contaminant or natural origin?. Chemosphere, 294 . ISSN 0045-6535

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Abstract

The widespread use of methylparaben as a preservative has caused increased exposure to natural aquatic systems in recent decades. However, current studies have suggested that exposure to this compound can result in endocrine disrupting effects, raising much concern regarding its environmental impact. In contast, methylparaben has also been found to be part of the metabolome of some organisms, prompting the question as to whether this compound may be more natural than previously assumed. Through a combination of field studies investigating the natural presence of methylparaben across different taxa, and a 54-day microcosm experiment examining the bioaccumulation and movement of methylparaben across different life stages of aquatic insects (order Trichoptera), our results offer evidence suggesting the natural origin of methylparaben in aquatic and terrestrial biota. This study improves our understanding of the role and impact this compound has on biota and challenges the current paradigm that methylparaben is exclusively a harmful anthropogenic contaminant. Our findings highlight the need for further research on this topic to fully understand the origin and role of parabens in the environment which will allow for a comprehensive understanding of the extent of environmental contamination and result in a representative assessment of the environmental risk that may pose.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	trichoptera ; odonata ; endocrine disrupting compound ; in situ ; microcosm
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Chemistry NATURAL SCIENCES > Biology NATURAL SCIENCES > Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences > Environmental Science
Divisions:	Division of Physical Chemistry
Projects:	Project title Project leader Project code Project type Višestruki stresori u vodenom okolišu: razumijevanje svojstava stresora i receptora-UNDERSTANDOR Marko Rožman IP-2018-01-2298 HRZZ Onečišćivači u kopnenim vodama: prijenos u kopneni ekosustav i metabolički odgovor makroskopskih beskralješnjaka- Ana Previšić 6/17 HRZZ Učinci višestrukih stresora na biološku raznolikost i funkcije slatkovodnih ekosustava-MUSE Ana Previšić PZS-2019-02-9479 HRZZ
Depositing User:	Marko Rožman
Date Deposited:	05 Apr 2022 09:40
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/6992
DOI:	10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133781

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