Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41807779›Full record

ArticleArchives of toxicology2026

Urinary metabolite elimination from inhaled propylene glycol butyl ether (PGBE) and propylene glycol methyl ether (PGME) in healthy participants.

Nancy B Hopf, Susanne Kaspar, Jamal Bouitbir, Jennifer Pache, Sylvain Le Gludic, Gregory Plateel, Nicole Charriere, Myriam Borgatta

Abstract read
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Article in Archives of toxicology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Nancy B HopfDepartment for Occupational and Environmental Health, Unisanté, University Center for Primary Care and Public Health & University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 21, 1010, Lausanne, Switzerland. Nancy.Hopf@unisante.ch.ORCID 0000-0002-4490-6109
Susanne KasparSwiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), Basel, Switzerland.
Jamal BouitbirDivision of Molecular and Systems Toxicology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-4453-9457
Jennifer PacheDepartment for Occupational and Environmental Health, Unisanté, University Center for Primary Care and Public Health & University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 21, 1010, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0009-1399-4191
Sylvain Le GludicForensic Toxicology and Chemistry Unit, University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 19, CH-1011 Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0002-9296-2671
Gregory PlateelForensic Toxicology and Chemistry Unit, University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 19, CH-1011 Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Nicole CharriereDepartment for Occupational and Environmental Health, Unisanté, University Center for Primary Care and Public Health & University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 21, 1010, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Myriam BorgattaDepartment for Occupational and Environmental Health, Unisanté, University Center for Primary Care and Public Health & University of Lausanne, Route de la Corniche 21, 1010, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-6326-0614

Funding

Swiss Federal Office for Public Health 444,002-67/2/4512425
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Glycol ethers are amphiphilic organic solvents, found as mixtures of α- (secondary alcohol) and β- (primary alcohol) isomers. Propylene glycol ethers (PGE) and ethylene glycol ethers (EGE) are the most common derivatives of the glycol ethers family. Among the PGE family, propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME, CAS # 107-98-2) and propylene glycol monobutyl ether (PGBE, CAS # 5131-66-8) are widely used. Regulations for PGME limit the β-isomer to < 5% due to its metabolism to alkoxy propionic acid, which has been associated reproductive and neurotoxic effects similar to those observed with ethylene glycol ethers. Other PGEs do not have such restrictions despite similar isomeric composition. Propylene glycol ethers are used in many commercial products, including cleaning products, and enter the body rapidly via lungs, skin, and ingestion. We hypothesized that PGBE is metabolized to 2-butoxypropionic acid (2-BPA), as suggested by in vitro hepatocyte experiments, and that 2-BPA would be quantifiable in urine from healthy participants (N = 17) following a 2-h exposure to a vapor mixture containing 15 ppm PGBE and 35 ppm PGME. Metabolites were quantified with liquid chromatography with quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Our in vitro hepatocyte experiments showed that PGBE was metabolized to 2-BPA. Urinary metabolite concentrations from the participants were greater for PGBE compared to PGME, and their peak elimination occurred at 1 h post exposure. Our findings show that β-isomers in commercial propylene glycol ethers can readily metabolize to the corresponding alkoxy propionic acid. However, current toxicological hazard assessments are insufficient to evaluate possible health implications.

Indexed as

Inhalation ExposurePropylene GlycolsSolventsAdultFemaleHepatocytesHumansMaleYoung Adultpropylene glycol methyl etherPropylene GlycolsSolventsBiomonitoringNeurotoxicityOrganic solventsToxicokineticsWorkers

Identifiers

PMID41807779

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.