A metabolomic study on the effect of prenatal exposure to Benzophenone-3 on spontaneous fetal loss in mice

Understudied and underestimated impacts of organic UV filters on terrestrial ecosystems

Organic UV filters (OUVFs) are vital components in various personal care products (PCPs) and commercial goods, with the annual consumption estimated at 10,000 tons. Consequently, the unavoidable use of OUVFs in PCPs and other unregulated commercial applications could present a considerable risk to human and environmental health. These chemical entities enter terrestrial ecosystems through wastewater discharge, agriculture, atmospheric deposition, and recreational activities. Compared to aqueous ecosystems, the effects of OUVFs on terrestrial environments should be more studied and potentially underestimated. The present review addresses the abovementioned gap by summarizing 189 studies conducted between 2006 and 2024, focusing on the analytical measures, occurrence, and ecotoxicological effects of OUVFs on terrestrial ecosystems. These studies underscore the harmful effects of certain OUVFs on the development, reproduction, and endocrine systems of terrestrial organisms, highlighting the necessity for comprehensive toxicological assessments to understand their impacts on non-target species in terrestrial ecosystems. Besides, by underscoring the ecological effects of OUVFs, this review aims to guide future research and inform regulatory measures to mitigate the risks posed by these widespread contaminants. Meanwhile, interdisciplinary research is essential, integrating environmental science, toxicology, ecology, and chemistry to tackle OUVF challenges in terrestrial ecosystems.

Associations of personal care products use with reproductive outcomes of IVF/ICSI treatment

Introduction

Personal care products (PCPs) contain a number of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that could potentially affect the reproductive function in women of childbearing age. However, studies focused on the effects of PCPs use on reproductive outcomes are very limited. The current study aimed to explore the relationships between PCPs use patterns and reproductive outcomes in women undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) treatment.

Methods

A total of 1500 women from the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental (TREE) study between December 2018 and January 2020 were included in this study. Participants provided characteristics of PCPs use within the previous three months. Retrieved oocyte number, mature oocyte number, two distinct pronuclei (2PN) zygote number, fertilization rate, cleavage rate, blastocyst formation rate, implantation, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth were followed up as reproductive endpoints. Generalized linear regression model was utilized to assess the associations between various categories of PCPs use and reproductive endpoints of IVF/ICSI.

Results

After adjusting for relevant covariates, women who used skin care products ≥14 times per week had a reduction of 22.4% in the maturation rate (95% CI: -39.2%, -1.6%) compared to participants who did not use skin care products. After transferring fresh embryos, women who used cosmetics 1-2 times per week (adjusted OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 4.8) or 3-7 times per week (adjusted OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2, 5.2) had a higher possibility of miscarriage than those who did not use cosmetics. There was negative association between the use of gel or soap and the cleavage rate among women aged < 30 years old (P for interaction = 0.01). Among women with BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2, the use of gel or soap was negatively associated with the blastocyst formation rate (P for interaction = 0.04), while cosmetics use was negatively associated with the maturation rate (P for interaction = 0.001).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the use of PCPs in women of reproductive age have a potential adverse impact on IVF/ICSI outcomes, particularly skin care and cosmetic products.

Investigation of the Relationship between Spontaneous Abortion, Serum Pesticides, and Polychlorinated Biphenyl Levels

Occupational and environmental chemical exposure have been associated with adverse reproductive consequences. This study investigates the relationship between spontaneous abortion and blood pesticide and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels. A survey was conducted, and blood samples were collected from 200 patients, consisting of 100 cases with spontaneous abortion and 100 cases with normal deliveries. A total of 150 different pesticides, including organophosphates, organochlorines, carbamates, and pyrethroids, were screened in the collected blood samples and analyzed quantitatively using Tandem mass spectrometry-specifically in combination with liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods. Eight types of PCBs were analyzed with the gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. The groups were compared based on these analyses. The mean age of the participants was 28.09 ± 4.94 years. In 59% of the spontaneous abortion group, 5.05 ± 1.97 chemicals were detected in different amounts. (p < 0.05). Analysis of the samples identified the presence of β-Hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), delta-hexachlorocyclohexane (δ HCH), Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Pentachlorobiphenyl-28 (PCB-28), Pentachlorobiphenyl-52 (PCB-52), o,p'-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (o,p'-DDE), p,p'-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'DDE), o,p'-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (o,p'-DDD), p,p'-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (p,p'-DDD), Pentachlorobiphenyl-118 (PCB-118), Pentachlorobiphenyl-101 (PCB-101), Pentachlorobiphenyl-153 (PCB-153), Pentachlorobiphenyl-138 (PCB-138), Pentachlorobiphenyl-202 (PCB-202), Pentachlorobiphenyl-180 (PCB-180) as well as Fibronil, Buprimate, Acetoclor, Acemiprid, Pentimanthalin, and Triflokystrobin. The spontaneous abortion group had significantly higher exposure to PCB-101, PCB-52, PCB-138, and δ-HCH (p < 0.05). Women included in the study had high pesticide and PCB exposure rates. Many of the blood samples contained multiple pesticides with endocrine-disrupting effects. Higher exposure to organochlorine compounds in the serum was identified in the group with spontaneous abortions.

Safety of benzophenone-type UV filters: A mini review focusing on carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity

Consumer products containing benzophenone-type ultraviolet (UV) filters (BPs) have been widely accepted by the public, resulting in the widely existence of various BPs in the human body and environment. In recent years, more and more evidences show that BPs are endocrine disruptors. In view of the continuous exposure risk of BPs and their endocrine disrupting characteristics, the carcinogenicity of BPs and their effects on reproduction and development are of particular concern. However, due to the wide varieties of BPs and the scattered toxicity studies on BPs, people have a limited understanding on the safety of BPs. Therefore, this paper systematically reviews the carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity of BPs in order to expand people's knowledge on the health risks of BPs and screen for more safe BPs. Although existing toxicological studies are insufficient, it can be determined that BPs have different potentials for carcinogenicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Among those BPs, 2-hydroxyl-4-methoxyl benzophenone needs to be used with caution due to its adverse effects on cancer cell proliferation and migration, reproductive ability, sex differentiation, neurodevelopment, and so on. It is worth noting that functional group substitutions significantly affect the interaction between BPs and biomolecules such as DNA, cancer cells, and seminal fluid, resulting in different levels of toxicity. In short, it is very necessary to evaluate the carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity of BPs, which is of great significance for establishing reasonable BPs content standards in cosmetics, water quality treatment standards for BPs, and so on.

Environmental toxicants and placental function

The placenta is a temporary endocrine organ that facilitates gas, nutrient, and waste exchange between maternal and fetal compartments, partially shielding the fetus from potentially hazardous environmental toxicants. However, rather than being "opaque", the placenta is translucent or even transparent to some potential fetal developmental hazards, including toxic trace elements (TEs), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and environmental phenols (EPs) to which women with pregnancy are frequently exposed. These agents are both passively and actively transferred to the fetal compartment, where endocrine disruption, oxidative stress, and epigenetic changes may occur. These pathologies may directly impact the fetus or deposit and accumulate in the placenta to indirectly impact fetal development. Thus, it is critical for clinicians to understand the potential placental toxicity and transfer of widely distributed environmental agents ubiquitous during pregnancy. With such knowledge, targeted interventions and clinical recommendations can be developed to limit those risks.

Assessing urinary phenol and paraben mixtures in pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus: A case-control study

Prior studies have identified the associations between environmental phenol and paraben exposures and increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but no study addressed these exposures as mixtures. As methods have emerged to better assess exposures to multiple chemicals, our study aimed to apply Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to evaluate the association between phenol and paraben mixtures and GDM. This study included 64 GDM cases and 237 obstetric patient controls from the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. Mid-pregnancy spot urine samples were collected to quantify concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), benzophenone-3, triclosan, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dichlorophenol, butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between individual chemical biomarkers and GDM while controlling for confounding. We used probit implementation of BKMR with hierarchical variable selection to estimate the mean difference in GDM probability for each component of the phenol and paraben mixtures while controlling for the correlation among the chemical biomarkers. When analyzing individual chemicals using logistic regression, benzophenone-3 was positively associated with GDM [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) per interquartile range (IQR) = 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15, 2.08], while BPA was negatively associated with GDM (aOR 0.61, 95% CI 0.37, 0.99). In probit-BKMR analysis, an increase in z-score transformed log urinary concentrations of benzophenone-3 from the 10th to 90th percentile was associated with an increase in the estimated difference in the probability of GDM (0.67, 95% Credible Interval 0.04, 1.30), holding other chemicals fixed at their medians. No associations were identified between other chemical biomarkers and GDM in the BKMR analyses. We observed that the association of BPA and GDM was attenuated when accounting for correlated phenols and parabens, suggesting the importance of addressing chemical mixtures in perinatal environmental exposure studies. Additional prospective investigations will increase the understanding of the relationship between benzophenone-3 exposure and GDM development.

Beach showers as sources of contamination for sunscreen pollution in marine protected areas and areas of intensive beach tourism in Hawaii, USA

In 2019, sands in nearby runoff streams from public beach showers were sampled on three islands in the State of Hawaii and tested for over 18 different petrochemical UV filters. Beach sands that are directly in the plume discharge of beach showers on three of the islands of Hawaii (Maui, Oahu, Hawai'i) were found to be contaminated with a wide array of petrochemical-based UV-filters that are found in sunscreens. Sands from beach showers across all three islands had a mean concentration of 5619 ng/g of oxybenzone with the highest concentration of 34,518 ng/g of oxybenzone at a beach shower in the Waikiki area of Honolulu. Octocrylene was detected at a majority of the beach shower locations, with a mean concentration of 296.3 ng/g across 13 sampling sites with the highest concentration of 1075 ng/g at the beach shower in Waikiki. Avobenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and benzophenone-2 were detected, as well as breakdown products of oxybenzone, including benzophenone-1, 2,2'-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, and 4-hydroxybenzophenone. Dioxybenzone (DHMB) presented the highest concentration in water (75.4 ng/mL), whereas octocrylene was detected in all water samples. Some of these same target analytes were detected in water samples on coral reefs that are adjacent to the beach showers. Risk assessments for both sand and water samples at a majority of the sampling sites had a Risk Quotient > 1, indicating that these chemicals could pose a serious threat to beach zones and coral reef habitats. There are almost a dozen mitigation options that could be employed to quickly reduce contaminant loads associated with discharges from these beach showers, like those currently being employed (post-study sampling and analysis) in the State of Hawaii, including banning the use of sunscreens using petrochemical-based UV filters or educating tourists before they arrive on the beach.