Development of a Quantitative Analytical Method for Determining the Concentration of Human Urinary Paraben by LC-MS/MS

Parabens, the esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, have been widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetic products, drugs, and processed foods and beverages. However, some parabens have been shown to have weak estrogenic effects through in vivo and in vitro studies. Because such widespread use has raised concerns about the potential human health risks associated with exposure to parabens, we developed a simultaneous analytical method to quantify 4 parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl) in human urine, by using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. This method showed good specificity, linearity ($R^2$ > 0.999), accuracy (92.2-112.4%), precision (0.9-9.6%, CV), and recovery (95.7-102.0%). The LOQs for the 4 parabens were 1.0, 0.5, 0.2, and 0.5 ng/mL, respectively. This method could be used for quick and accurate analysis of a large number of human samples in epidemiological studies to assess the prevalence of human exposure to parabens.