Modeling and Simulation of Triclosan Kinetics and Distribution in Humans Using PBPK Model

Triclosan (TCS) has been used as an antibacterial additive in several personal care products (PCPs) for more than 40 years. In animals studies, it is observed that TCS in rats has adverse effects on the endocrine function and thyroid hormone homeostasis, and intensify antibiotic resistance. In human studies, significant levels of TCS are detected in human plasma and breast milk. In this study, a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic or Toxicokinetic (PBPK/TK) model is developed to describe the concentration of triclosan in human organs after exposure through the skin (dermal) or orally. Several studies have been conducted on toxicokinetics of TCS, but there is a lack of information on parameters for PBPK models. In this paper, focus is on finding parameters for TCS to be used in the PBPK model. In a first case, the PBPK model was based on data for TCS and the structurally related chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), in a second case, partition coefficients were found using Poulin’s method. The simulations were carried out using MATLAB, and the results for the two cases are compared.