Asian study reveals endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in personal care products from the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




In a press briefing in time for the observance of World Consumer Rights Month, BAN Toxics, a chemical and waste management NGO, discloses the findings of recent laboratory testing indicating the presence of parabens, triclosan, and triclocarban, classified as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), in personal care products sold in the country. The result underscores potential health risks for infants, children, and adults alike as scientific studies have shown that said chemicals exhibit adverse health effects.

“Among 19 children’s products sent for chemical analysis, propylparabens (PPs) or butyl parabens (BPs) were detected in three products–a brand of kiddie toothpaste, an infant tooth gel brand, both manufactured in the Philippines, and a baby body wash brand made in China. PP was detected in a range from 3.71 μg/g to 152 μg/g. Disturbingly, trace amounts of isobutylparaben—a chemical compound banned for use in cosmetic products under the regulations in the country, within ASEAN and European Cosmetic Regulation—were detected. Triclosan and triclocarban, antibacterial chemicals added to consumer products, have likewise been detected in a liquid hand soap and a deodorant.

“While most of the specific brands analyzed may be largely compliant with national standards in terms of chemical concentration, the empirical evidence that EDCs are present in products either mouthed by children or applied to their skin is equally worrisome. While low doses may seem harmless, the daily use of numerous products could potentially lead to various health issues," said Jam Lorenzo, BAN Toxics research and policy development officer.

Eight Asian countries, including the Philippines, participated in a product survey conducted by South Korea-based Wonjin Institute for Occupational & Environmental Health (WIOEH) in 2023, supported by Korean Financial Industry Foundation(KFIF). “The aim of the study was to assess the presence of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) in personal care products and determine compliance to international and domestic standards and labeling requirements, focusing on the potential presence of propylparabens (PBs) and butylparabens (BBs) in personal care products. The identification of nine parabens, triclosan, and triclocarban involved the utilization of high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for chemical analysis to obtain the results,” Dr. Won Kim of WIOEH said.

“Infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable to the impacts of chemicals due to their ongoing physical development. Parabens, when applied to the skin, are easily and directly absorbed into the body. These products may also be consumed or inhaled, leading to absorption into the blood and distribution throughout the system. With the current baby and child skin care market in the Philippines estimated at 1.5 million and given the increasing trend, more and more Filipino babies and children are becoming exposed to these hazardous chemicals,” said Lorenzo.

Parabens belong to a class of chemicals commonly used as preservatives in various consumer products and most widely used in cosmetics. They are considered chemicals of emerging concern, as scientific findings suggest their ability to interfere with the functioning of the endocrine system, potentially disrupting hormone activity in the body and posing risks to fertility, reproductive organs, birth outcomes, increasing the risk of cancer, and causing skin irritation. BPs and PPs specifically have been shown to disrupt the male reproductive system.

Triclosan may play a role in a variety of health issues including endocrine dysfunction, irregular embryonic development, and immune suppression,” Lorenzo added. The marketing of consumer antiseptic wash products containing triclosan and triclocarban as active ingredients has been prohibited by the US Food and Drug Administration since 2016. The EU Regulation 2014/358, implemented in 2014, restricts the use of triclosan to products that are washed off after application (rinse-off products). This means that the use of triclosan as a preservative in body lotions and skin care creams is no longer permitted. It has also banned the use of triclosan in mouthwash and has established limits on its use in cosmetics products, capping concentrations at a maximum of 0.2%.

"Additionally, we have to worry about fragrance allergens in personal care products, because we found that 14 kinds of fragrance allergens were listed in 50 products (14%) purchased in Asian countries. It is well known that fragrance allergens are related with contact dermatitis and respiratory effects," Won added.

“Survey results further confirm manufacturers’ non-compliance with ingredient labeling in the products, a mandatory requirement. Five out of 65 products did not match the label, in violation of the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive, an agreement among ASEAN countries that prescribes proper labeling of cosmetic products to ensure truthful and accurate information,” he added.

"Eight product types were tested, including antivirus wipes, baby wipes, deodorant, toothpaste, body wash, feminine wash, hand wash, and mouthwash," Won elaborated. "Among the products with ingredient labels, there were 269 products from all participating countries that did not separately label parabens, triclosan, and triclocarban. Out of these, a total of 60 labels were found to be incorrect."

BAN Toxics explained that all these findings indicate “the need for stricter regulation in cosmetics and personal care products. The cosmetics industry must shift to alternatives and replace parabens, triclosan and triclocarban with other safe chemicals or natural preservatives to prevent negative health effects,” Thony Dizon, BAN Toxics advocacy officer said.

“We support and join WIOEH’s recommendations to regulatory agencies to conduct a national market survey to ensure regulatory compliance. Urgent measures must be taken to enforce stricter regulations concerning children’s products. Considerations should be given to issuing a joint declaration among participating countries to prohibit the use of PP and BP in children’s and feminine products.”

"One meaningful practice of exercising our consumer rights is to carefully read ingredient lists of the cosmetic products we purchase, seek out brands labeled 'paraben-free' and 'triclosan-free', and avoid those containing listed endocrine-disrupting chemicals." Dizon appealed to the public. 





References:

https://www.fda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/FDA-Advisory-No.-2016-032.pdf

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-final-rule-safety-and-effectiveness-antibacterial-soaps

https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/safety-triclocarban-and-triclosan-substances-potential-endocrine-disrupting-properties-cosmetic_en

Instituto Cervantes opens an exhibit on Nebrija, the grammarian who helped to preserve the Filipino vernacular languages

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Did you know that Tagalog had its first grammar published before many European languages? The linguistic milestone can be greatly credited to the Spanish grammarian Elio Antonio de Nebrija, who played a pivotal role in that development. On March 12, Instituto Cervantes unveiled at its Intramuros branch the exhibition Nebrija en Filipinas, dedicated to celebrating the cultural contributions of Nebrija (1444-1522). Nebrija's impactful legacy extends to languages like Tagalog and Cebuano, which had grammars published ahead of many European languages.

Nebrija en Filipinas, tailored for Filipino audiences, is an adaptation of the Nebrija exhibition organized by the National Library of Spain in 2022, commemorating the 500th anniversary of Nebrija's death. Through informative panels and displays of books, the exhibition will highlight Nebrija’s cultural contributions and seek to contextualize them within the publication of the first grammars of the Philippine vernacular languages. These linguistic endeavours were directly shaped by Nebrija's teachings.

Nebrija was a highly reputed scholar during the Renaissance period in Europe. His book Introductiones Latinae, a groundbreaking manual for teaching Latin, not only earned him recognition in Spain but also garnered international fame. He also wrote bilingual dictionaries in Latin-Spanish and a Gramática de la lengua castellana, published in 1492, which is recognized as the first grammar of modern European languages. It became the model for Spanish friars who attempted analyzing the grammars of the new world, both in America and the Philippines. These missionaries, who had learned Latin from Nebrija’s methods, applied the model, with its theoretical considerations and bilingual translations, in their description of these languages. As a result, Tagalog saw its first grammar book published in 1610 with Francisco Blancas de San José's Arte y reglas de la lengua tagala. It was followed by similar initiatives with other vernacular languages, among them the Arte de la lengua iloca, composed by the Agustinian Francisco López in 1627, and the Arte de la lengua bisaya de la provincia de Leyte, written by the jesuist Domingo Ezguerra in 1663.

Proud, intelligent, and audacious, Nebrija was a stalwart fighter for pure Latin and always wanted to go down in posterity with the nickname grammaticus (grammarian). When he presented a preview of what would later become his Grammar of the Castilian Language to Queen Isabel la Católica, the sovereign was initially surprised, unable to grasp the utility of a treatise teaching the rules of a language acquired naturally. However, Nebrija successfully persuaded her that languages benefit from both descriptive and normative grammars to prevent them from running amok. The paradoxes of fate have made his Castilian grammar his most renowned work today. Nevertheless, Nebrija deserves to be remembered for many other reasons.

For Nebrija, the revival of Latin was an incentive for other scholarly pursuits. The voyages of the discoverers aroused his curiosity, leading to a fascination with cosmography and a desire to learn about developments from across the Atlantic. In these and other scholarly ventures, Nebrija revealed himself as a full-fledged humanist.

Even after his death, Nebrija’s fame did not diminish. His grammars and lexicons were not only published in Spain but also gained recognition in France, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. The Latin manual he had written for his students in Salamanca attained exclusive authorization for teaching the discipline, a decree made by King Philip III in 1598. Nebrija's Latin grammar manual continued to be esteemed, annotated, and adapted based on location and circumstances until the 19th century.

The exhibit Nebrija en Filipinas, which will run until 12 June, 2024, is organized by Instituto Cervantes in collaboration with Fundación Antonio Nebrija (Madrid), the Embassy of Spain and AECID, Biblioteca Nacional de España, and the University of Sto. Tomas (Manila). Nebrija en Filipinas is an adaptation of the original exhibit Nebrija, curated by Dr. Teresa Jiménez Calvente, with addition of panels focused on the Philippines composed by Marlon James Sales, of UP Diliman. The exhibit will have a second leg from August to October in the Miguel Benavides Library of UST.

For further information about the cultural program of Instituto Cervantes de Manila, please visit their website (https://manila.cervantes.es), or follow Instituto Cervantes on the following social media pages: (Facebook: InstitutoCervantesManila; Instagram: institutocervantesmanila).

UK Recognizes UP Scientists’ Contributions to Philippine Research and Development

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Photo above shows Students using VISSER, a portable learning device CS Dean Giovanni Tapang helped commercialize (Photo credit: making.technology)

Pamela Louise Tolentino of UP Diliman College of Science National Institute of Geological Sciences (UPD-CS NIGS) and CS Dean Giovanni Tapang are among the Filipino scientists highlighted by the UK in their decadal recap of joint scientific achievements with the Philippines.

Since 2014, Filipino scientists have been collaborating with UK scientists through the scientific partnership between the two countries. In 2016, the Newton Agham Fund was launched, aimed at providing £3 million (about ₱180 million) of funds for key research projects in health and life sciences, environmental resilience, and energy security.

Tolentino is one of the lead investigators in their project examining where rivers flow and how they change landscapes. By understanding the geomorphological processes behind river systems, their work provides evidence-based solutions for a more effective flood risk assessment and planning. Tolentino and colleagues’ work is under the “Understanding the Impacts of Hydrometeorological Hazards in Southeast Asia Programme” and is funded through the Newton Agham Fund.

In 2016, Dean Tapang was a Leaders in Innovation Fellow, a program that trains and mentors scientists in bringing their inventions to the market. Last year, he spearheaded the commercialization of the Versatile Instrumentation System for Science Education and Research (VISSER), a portable learning device that allows students to conduct 120 experiments in chemistry, biology, environmental science, and physics. At the end of the year, the company distributed 43 VISSER units and generated ₱3.4 million in total revenue. Read the VISSER press release here.

“Every project should have collaboration and inclusion at its core to have impacts that last way beyond its lifetime,” said Tolentino in UK’s Science Snapshot. “I honestly believe that more than the outputs such as methods and data developed from the project, it is truly the conversations where the common goal of providing a better future for everyone that will drive the changes.”

To express interest in continuing the partnership, the UK and the Philippines held the first Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) at The Manila Peninsula Makati City on February 22, 2024. The JCM would now be held every two years to bolster cooperation between both parties.



By Harvey Sapigao