Concentrations of the Sunscreen Agent Benzophenone-3 in Residents of the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2004

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Environ Health Perspect
• Personal Author:
  Calafat, Antonia M. ; Wong, Lee-Yang ; Ye, Xiaoyun ; Reidy, John A. ; Needham, Larry L.
• Description:
  Background
  
  The capability of benzophenone-3 (BP-3) to absorb and dissipate ultraviolet radiation facilitates its use as a sunscreen agent. BP-3 has other uses in many consumer products (e.g., as fragrance and flavor enhancer, photoinitiator, ultraviolet curing agent, polymerization inhibitor).
  
  Objectives
  
  Our goal was to assess exposure to BP-3 in a representative sample of the U.S. general population ≥ 6 years of age.
  
  Methods
  
  Using automated solid-phase extraction coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, we analyzed 2,517 urine samples collected as part of the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
  
  Results
  
  We detected BP-3 in 96.8% of the samples. The geometric mean and 95th percentile concentrations were 22.9 μg/L (22.2 μg/g creatinine) and 1,040 μg/L (1,070 μg/g creatinine), respectively. Least-square geometric mean (LSGM) concentrations were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.04) for females than for males, regardless of age. LSGM concentrations were significantly higher for non-Hispanic whites than for non-Hispanic blacks (p ≤ 0.01), regardless of age. Females were more likely than males [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 3.5; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.9–6.5], and non-Hispanic whites were more likely than non-Hispanic blacks (adjusted OR = 6.8; 95% CI, 2.9–16.2) to have concentrations above the 95th percentile.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Exposure to BP-3 was prevalent in the general U.S. population during 2003–2004. Differences by sex and race/ethnicity probably reflect differences in use of personal care products containing BP-3.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Age Factors Benzophenones Child Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid Female Health Surveys Humans Male Mass Spectrometry Racial Groups Sex Factors Sunscreening Agents

  More +
• Source:
  Environ Health Perspect. 2008; 116(7):893-897.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Volume:
  116
• Issue:
  7
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:78b3fe758a94b842a9aad6b3425dad98facfc4e630ea89eed2fe3e5769bc66d5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/3906/cdc_3906_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 133.95 KB ]