# Plaaben Compounds--Part I: An Overview of Their Characteristics, Detection, and Impacts
## 4 Legislation
### Other Paraben Legislation and Considerations Regarding Countries Outside the EU  
In the United States, the use of parabens is allowed without restrictions in cosmetics, but some cosmetics manufacturers are starting to use other alternative preservatives or decrease the use of parabens due do the increase in concerns [20,123]. However, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Organization already recommended adopting the same restrictions as the EU for the use of parabens in the USA and Canada [20]. These countries do not have special legislation for the use of parabens in cosmetics, but the governmental units of the USA and Canada recommended the same rules regarding paraben concentrations in cosmetics as the ones established by the European Union [34]. Some entities such as ECORCERT (France), BDIH (Germany), NaTrue (Belgium), Soil Association (United Kingdom), ICEA (Italy) and BIOCOC (Switzerland) are taking the same measures as the EU and are not allowing products with parabens in their compositions and other entities, such as CosmeBio, have forbade the use of parabens in cosmetics since 2002 [20]. Denmark has implemented different restrictions for propylparaben, butylparaben, iso-propylparaben and iso-butylparaben since 2011, but only for products for children under 3 years old [34]. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considered MP and PP as inactive ingredients when used in dentifrizes, contraceptives, analgesics, injection drugs, inhalation and intranasal solutions, ophthalmic, oral, topical, rectal, and vaginal drugs [22]. For food additives, FDA authorized the use of parabens and consider the use of methylparaben and propylparaben as safe up to a limit of 0.1% [21,22]. Additionally, the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee established a daily intake sum of MP, EP and PP of 10 mg/kg [22]. It is not easy to find information about the use of parabens in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food from the USA and China, but it seems that the FDA did not update their regulations regarding parabens, since there are no restrictions for their use in cosmetics, as already mentioned, and there is no contradictory information to the values given by [PERSON] et al. [21,22] for food application. Regarding China, no works or other sources with the desired information were found, but a website states that the last update of cosmetic legislation occurred in 2015, allowing use of MP, EP, PP, BuP, iso-PP and iso-BuP and their sodium and potassium salts in cosmetics in China [124]. Another website, from an update made in 2018, refers to a list of ingredients as a proposal for amendment of the existing regulations, referring only to MP, EP, PP and BuP and their salts as authorized substances, using the same restrictions as the EU [125]. If this is confirmed, then China has updated their regulations regarding the use of parabens in the cosmetic industry. In Japan, some parabens (ethyl-, propyl-, iso-propyl-, butyl- and n-butyl- parabens) are allowed for use as food additives, and their limits are regulated as the total quantity of p-hydroxybenzoic acid [22], and in cosmetic products, the maximum paraben concentration allowed is 1% [34]. In accordance with the previous information, it is possible to see a lack of important action. Although the legislation for industrial use of parabens is being updated and being more restricted, the reality still provides the presence of these compounds in nature, and some studies still refer to parabens as source of different problems for human health. More restrictions regarding paraben use should be enforced and more studies about the risks of parabens must be carried out in order to have more scientific information that allows a decision to be made based on solid and irrefutable arguments. Regarding the existence of parabens in water resources, the legislation and recommendations must be urgently updated. Parabens are ubiquitous in nature and this must be reverted, since ecosystems and their fauna and flora could suffer different impacts caused by the presence of these and other compounds in waters.