Exposure of the population of Catalonia (Spain) to musk fragrances through seafood consumption: Risk assessment

Bioaccumulation, trophic transfer and risk assessment of polycyclic musk in marine food webs of the Bohai Sea

Galaxolide (HHCB) and tonalide (AHTN) are dominant musks added to personal care products. However, the accumulate and trophic transfer of SMs through the marine food chain are unclear. In this study, organisms were collected from three bays in Bohai Sea to investigate the bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and health risk of SMs. The HHCB and AHTN concentrations in the muscles range from 2.75 to 365.40 μg/g lw and 1.04-4.94 μg/g lw, respectively. The median HHCB concentrations in muscles were the highest in Bohai Bay, followed by Laizhou Bay and Liaodong Bay, consistent with the HHCB concentrations in sediments. The different fish tissues from Bohai Bay were analyzed, and the HHCB and AHTN concentrations followed the heart > liver > gill > muscles. The trophic magnification factors (TMF) were lower than 1 and the health risk assessment showed no adverse health effects. The results provide insights into the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer behavior of SMs in marine environments.

Assessment of metal and organic pollutants in combination with stable isotope analysis in tunas from the Gulf of Cadiz (east Atlantic)

Bioaccumulation patterns of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Fe and Cu) and organic (priority and emerging) pollutants, in combination with stable isotope analysis (SIA), were assessed in muscle and liver of three tuna species from the Gulf of Cadiz (Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus; Atlantic bonito, Sarda sarda, and skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis). SIA and contaminant (heavy metal and organic) profiles separately discriminated between species. There was no significant overlap between the trophic niches estimated from isotopic data, suggesting that there are diet differences which may determine differential bioaccumulation patterns. The levels of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in muscle of all the individuals analyzed were below the allowable limits established by the current legislation. Concentrations of most contaminants were higher in liver than in muscle, underlining the powerful detoxifying capacity of the liver in tunas. In addition to diet, other factors such as size and age (exposure time to environmental chemicals) explain differences in pollutant accumulation patterns in tissues between species, each with varying degrees of involvement depending on the pollutant class. Our results show that combining contaminant profile data with trophic features based on SIA may help understand pollutant bioaccumulation patterns in upper levels of marine food webs.

A critical review of distribution, toxicological effects, current analytical methods and future prospects of synthetic musks in aquatic environments

Synthetic musks (SMs) have gained widespread utilization in daily consumer products, leading to their widespread dissemination in aquatic environments through various pathways. Over the past few decades, the production of SMs has consistently risen, prompting significant concern over their potential adverse impacts on ecosystems and human health. Although several studies have focused on the development of analytical techniques for detecting SMs in biological samples and cosmetic products, a comprehensive evaluation of their global distribution in diverse aquatic media and biological matrices remains lacking. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the occurrence of SMs in both aquatic and various biological matrices, investigating their worldwide distribution trends, assessing their ecological toxicity, and comparing different methodologies for processing and analysis of SMs. The findings underscore the prevalence of polycyclic musks as predominant SMs, with consumption of various products in different countries leading to contrasting distribution of contaminants. Furthermore, the migration of SMs from sediments to the water phase is investigated, indicating the role of solid-phase reservoirs. Incomplete degradation of SMs in the environment could contribute to their accumulation in aquatic systems, impacting the growth and oxidative stress of aquatic organisms, and having a possibility of genotoxicity to them. Human exposure data highlight substantial risks for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and infants. Moreover, contemporary methods for SMs analysis are presented in this review, particularly focusing on advancements made in the last five years. Finally, research enhancement and critical questions regarding the analysis of SMs are provided, offering suggestions for future research endeavors.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in Vietnamese marine fish: Occurrence, distribution, and risk assessment

The release of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) into the aquatic environment, specifically the oceans, is increasing, leading to adverse effects on the marine ecosystem. Using optimized QuEChERS extraction methods, the study created the first contamination profiles of 44 EDCs, including organic ultraviolet compounds, pharmaceutically active compounds, hormones, and phthalate esters, in 114 fish muscle samples from five species collected along the Vietnamese coast. The study found that largehead hairtail exhibited the highest total EDCs at 208.3 ng g-1 lipid weight (lw), while Indian catfish displayed the lowest concentration at 105.5 ng g-1 lw. Besides, the study observed notable variations in the total EDCs across distinct fish species. This study hypothesized that the marine economic characteristics of each research location have a significant role in shaping the pollution profile of EDCs found in fish specimens taken from the corresponding area. As a result, a notable disparity in the composition of organic ultraviolet compounds has been observed among the three regions of North, Central, and South Vietnam (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05). Despite these findings, EDC-contaminated fish did not pose any health risks to Vietnam's coastal population.

Seasonal occurrence and risk assessment of endocrine-disrupting compounds in Tagus estuary biota (NE Atlantic Ocean coast)

Estuaries are continually threatened by anthropogenic pressures, consequently, a large group of contaminants harmful to human health affects the aquatic biota; therefore, it is necessary to monitor their quality. This study deals with the determination of a large group of compounds representing different endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) classes [21 pesticides, 4 polycyclic musk fragrances, 4 UV-filters, 7 bisphenols, 6 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 8 of their methoxylated (MeO-BDEs)] in several estuarine species (fish, bivalves, crustaceans, earthworm, and macroalgae) collected seasonally along one year in two distinct areas of Tagus River estuary ("contaminated" vs. "clean" areas). The most abundant compounds found were galaxolide (HHCB) (81% positive samples; 0.04-74 ng/g ww), isoamyl 4-methoxycinnamate (IMC) (64%; 1.13-251 ng/g ww), alachlor (44%; 0.08-16 ng/g ww), and BDE-47 (36%; 0.06-2.26 ng/g ww). Polycyclic musks were the most frequent contaminants in fish (seabass, barbus, mullet, and sole) and macroalgae samples, while UV-filters were predominant in bivalves and crustaceans, and bisphenols in earthworms. Seasonal variation was verified for Σpesticides and Σmusks, with significantly higher levels in summer and autumn, whereas ΣUV-filters highest levels were found in spring and summer, and for ΣPBDEs statistically higher levels were registered in cold seasons (autumn and winter). Σbisphenols were significantly lower in spring than in the other seasons. In general, considering all species analysed in both areas, no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were verified between the two collection areas. Based on the estimated daily intake data, consumption of fish from this estuary is unlikely to be a human health concern, since the levels of contamination were below the toxicological threshold values. Overall, the data obtained in this study will allow regulatory authorities to identify and prioritize contaminants monitoring programs in estuaries, such as the case of bisphenol A, which was found, for the first time, in earthworm and clam species.

Occurrence and risk assessment of endocrine-disrupting compounds in fish muscle: The case study of the Douro River estuary (North East Atlantic Ocean)

This work was focused on evaluating the occurrence of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in fish muscles, such as bisphenol analogues, personal care products, including some UV-filters and musk fragrances, and selected pesticides. A total of 238 muscle samples of three fish species (Platichthys flesus, Mugil cephalus, and Dicentrarchus labrax) of an important estuary ending in the North East Atlantic Ocean (Douro River estuary, Portugal), in different seasons of the year, was analysed. M. cephalus was the species with a greater occurrence of contaminants, mainly in fishes collected during the spring. Bisphenol A was the main bisphenol analogue detected with an average content of 23.1 μg/kg wet weight (w.w.). Among chemicals used in personal care products, galaxolide, tonalide, and 2-ethylhexyl salicylate, were the most often found, being present in 15.9% (2.2-538.4 μg/kg w. w.), 4.6% (1.1-57.8 μg/kg w. w.) and 3.4% (3.9-56.1 μg/kg w. w.) of the samples, respectively. About 14% of the samples contained residues of at least one pesticide, being alachlor, aldrin, p,p'-DDT, permethrin, and prochloraz the main chemicals observed, varying from 0.1 μg/kg w. w. (p,p'-DDT) to 37.8 μg/kg w. w. (prochloraz). The daily intake estimates of the most frequent EDCs found in the fish muscles suggested that there are no health concerns, based on the recommended weekly consumption of fish for adults.

Multi-analyte gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method to monitor bisphenols, musk fragrances, ultraviolet filters, and pesticide residues in seafood

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the analysis of thirty-six anthropogenic contaminants in the edible portion of four distinct seafood items is reported. Considering the heterogeneous composition of algae, mussels, and lean/fatty fish muscles, a generic sample preparation based on the QuEChERS procedure combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) with in situ acetylation was successfully applied for quantification of pesticide residues, bisphenols, musk fragrances and UV-filters. Matrix effects were influenced by the type of seafood, with the lowest effects being observed with EMR-lipid and graphitized carbon black sorbents in dispersive solid-phase extraction cleanup step. Method performance features were successful evaluated in the different seafood samples - algae, mussel, lean and fatty fish muscles, following the criteria established by SANTE/12682/2019 for analytical methods for pesticide residues analysis. The detection and quantification of bisphenol F, musk fragrances (galaxolide and tonalide), UV-filters (2-ethylhexyl salicylate, 2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate, and isoamyl 4-methoxycinnamate), and residues of permethrin in commercial samples of algae, mussel and fish collected in a Portuguese estuary support the suitability of the proposed method for future seafood monitoring by food safety authorities.

Uptake and translocation of UV-filters and synthetic musk compounds into edible parts of tomato grown in amended soils

In the last years, the number of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has increased and consequently, sewage sludge production. This residue is very rich in crop nutrients, which makes it prone to be used as organic fertilizer or soil conditioner for agriculture. However, the presence of emerging pollutants in these fertilizers has raised concern, namely their potential accumulation in soil and, eventually their uptake by crops. Therefore, the main goal of this work was to study the potential plant uptake and translocation of ultraviolet-filters (UVFs) and synthetic musk compounds (SMCs). A total of 6 UVFs and 11 SMCs were analysed in Micro-Tom tomatoes grown in soil amended with a commercial sewage sludge-based organic fertilizer. Most of the studied compounds were detected in the tomato fruit, in concentrations ranging from 5 to 147 ng g^-1 dw for UVFs and from 1.3 to 68 ng g^-1 dw for SMCs. This indicates a potential uptake of these emerging pollutants and a subsequent translocation to the fruits. Besides that, UVFs show bioconcentration factors (BCFs) from 3 (DTS) to 33 (BZ) and SMCs from 0.2 (AHTN) to 23 (HHCB). Nevertheless, no risk by ingestion was observed based on estimation of the weekly exposure dose through hazard quotients (HQ < 0.02). SMCs galaxolide and tonalide seem to pose risk to the amended soils.

Validation and Evaluation of Selected Organic Pollutants in Shrimp and Seawater Samples from the NW Portuguese Coast

The development of coastal regions has contributed to the intensification of environmental contamination, which can accumulate in aquatic biota, such as shrimps. These crustaceans, besides being delicious and being a good source of nutrients, can also accumulate environmental pollutants. Amongst others, these include organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and synthetic musks (SMs). These pollutants, classified as endocrine disruptors, are related to adverse effects in humans and since one of the major routes of exposition is ingestion, this is a cause for concern regarding their presence in food. The aim of the present study was to quantify the presence of environmental pollutants in shrimp samples and in the water from their habitat along the northwest Portuguese coast. In seawater samples, only two OCPs (lindane and DDD) and one BFR (BTBPE) were detected, and in shrimp samples, one OCP (DDD) and three SMs (HHCB, AHTN and ketone) were found. Bioaccumulation and the risk assessment of dietary exposure of SMs in shrimp samples were investigated. It was observed that all shrimp samples analyzed significantly presented bioaccumulation of the three SMs found. Concentrations of SMs detected in shrimp samples do not present a health risk for the adult Portuguese population.

Synthetic musks in surface water and fish from the rivers in India: Seasonal distribution and toxicological risk assessment

Synthetic musks (SMs), a class of organic compounds added to various personal care products (PCPs) to enhance aroma, are increasingly released into the environment and become one emerging contaminants of concern in India. Some SMs like Galaxolide, Tonalide and Musk Ketone (MK) are lipophilic and found ubiquitously in the environment, posing health and ecological risks, especially affecting aquatic organisms. Hence, monitoring the synthetic musks contamination in these rivers become environmentally inevitable. Consequently, three major rivers, the Kaveri (Cauvery), Vellar and Thamirabarani Rivers in Tamil Nadu, India, were investigated to understand the occurrence and fate of SMs. The concentration of Galaxolide, Tonalide and MK in surface water ranged as not detected (ND)-198, ND-77 and ND-62 ng/L, respectively. The levels of SMs in the Kaveri River were comparable with Vellar and Thamirabarani Rivers; however, the detection frequency was low in Thamirabarani river. Fish samples from the Kaveri river had higher concentrations of SMs (galaxolide 36-350 ng/g > MK 2-33 ng/g > Tonalide 1-9 ng/g ww (wet weight)) than in the Vellar River. Based on Hazard Quotient, SMs pose no risks to freshwater systems and the resident organisms in this study. In India, the dry season starts from March to July (35-42 °C) and wet season starts from November to February (25-35 °C). Bioconcentration factor (BCF) values for Galaxolide were found higher during the wet season and lower during the dry season, whereas it is reverse for Tonalide. Among fish Gebilion catla may be a good indicator species for SMs, despite the seasons, it accumulates more. This is the first study of SMs in surface water and fish from the rivers in India.

Dietary exposure to potentially toxic elements through sushi consumption in Catalonia, Spain

Although sushi is considered as a healthy food, it can also be a route of exposure to chemical contaminants such as potentially toxic trace elements. In this study, we analysed the concentration of Cd, I, Ni, Pb and total Hg, as well as iAs and MeHg in sushi samples. Iodine levels were higher in samples containing seaweed, while iAs concentrations were greater in rice-containing sushi. In turn, total Hg and MeHg were significantly higher in sushi samples with tuna. Health risks of sushi consumption were assessed for three population groups: children, adolescents and adults. Considering an average intake of 8 sushi pieces for adults and adolescents, and 3 sushi pieces for children, the estimated exposure to MeHg by adolescents exceeded the tolerable daily intake set by EFSA, while MeHg intake by children and adults was below, but close to that threshold. A relatively high daily exposure of Ni and Pb was also found, especially for adolescents. Since this study focused only on the consumption of sushi, the contribution of other food groups to the overall dietary exposure should not be disregarded. It might lead to an exposure to MeHg and other trace elements above the health-based guideline values.

Occurrence and trophic transfer of synthetic musks in the freshwater food web of a large subtropical lake

Synthetic musks (SMs) have drawn worldwide attention, as they are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to many organisms. There is not enough information on the bioaccumulation and trophodynamic behavior of SMs in freshwater food webs to reliably understand the associated ecological risks. In this study, the concentrations of six SM congeners in fifteen aquatic species from Lake Chaohu, China, was investigated. The total concentrations of the six SMs ranged from 0.29 to 59.7 ng/g dry weight (median, 4.41) in fish muscle tissue and in the whole body tissues of small fish species and shrimps. Galaxolide (HHCB) and tonalide (AHTN) were the predominant congeners, accounting for 65.0% and 28.5% of the total SM concentration, respectively. On the whole, the total concentrations of SMs in livers and gills were 0.18-32.8 and 0.84-254 times higher than those in muscle tissues in fish species, respectively. In the food web of Lake Chaohu, cashmeran (DPMI) and HHCB showed a trend towards trophic magnification, and AHTN tended to show trophic dilution, but these trends were not statistically significant. This suggested that the trophic transfer of these chemicals through the food web was strongly influenced by many factors, including tissue-specific distribution within individuals at higher trophic levels. More investigation into the trophic transfer of SMs in aquatic ecosystems and the factors influencing uptake is needed.

Organochlorine pesticides, brominated flame retardants, synthetic musks and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in shrimps. An overview of occurrence and its implication on human exposure

Shrimps are widely distributed in coastal areas, estuaries and rivers. Although this shellfish is a good source of nutrients, it can also accumulate environmental contaminants, such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), synthetic musks (SMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Due to their bioaccumulative properties, these pollutants are endocrine disruptors. In this review, an overview of the world's shrimp market, pollutants legislation and values found in shrimp samples will be discussed. Shrimps analysed from all continents showed the presence of contaminants, Asia being the continent with the highest values reported. The concentration values reached a maximum of 26100 ng/g wet weight (ww) for OCPs, of 226.45 ng/g ww for BFRs, of 12.1 ng/g ww for SMs and of 50650 ng/g ww for PAHs. Exposure data and risk, taken from different studies, are very variable and indicate that shrimp's consumption may represent a risk especially in certain geographic areas.

Determination of organophosphate ester flame retardants and plasticisers in fish samples by QuEChERs followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Exposure and risk assessment through fish consumption

The presence of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in everyday commodities such as furniture, household appliances and baby toys have rendered these contaminants ubiquitous in environmental fates such as air, water, soils and biota. Their presence in food-related species suggests that an additional route of exposure to these esters for the general population is fish intake through diet. Their incipient toxicity and carcinogenetic behaviour make it essential to develop methods for determining OPEs in fish samples. In this paper we have developed a new method for determining 9 OPEs based on the QuEChERS extraction method followed by a simple clean-up using a novel device for selective lipid removal (LipiFiltr) and GC-MS/MS to extract these compounds from fish samples regardless of lipid content. QuEChERS salt packet optimisation and clean-up strategies such as liquid-liquid extraction, dispersive-solid phase extraction and LipiFiltr were tested. Our results showed that EN 15662 method salts and Lipifiltr were the best combination to produce efficient analyte apparent recovery (67-116%) and negligible matrix effects (<10%). Limits of detection ranged from 0.05 ng g^-1 (dry weight) for TiBP and TBP to 2.00 ng g^-1 (dry weight) for TCEP. Fish samples from four fish species were determined with a median concentration of ΣOPEs 5.31 ng g^-1 on a wet weight basis, with TBP, TiBP and TCPP as the main contenders. Estimates of exposure and risk associated with consuming these compounds via dietary intake showed low levels of concern for the population of Tarragona.

Analytical methodology to screen UV-filters and synthetic musk compounds in market tomatoes

A Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) methodology followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) analysis was developed to extract thirteen synthetic musk compounds (SMCs: cashmeran, celestolide, phantolide, traseolide, galaxolide, tonalide, musk ambrette, musk xylene, musk ketone, musk tibetene, musk moskene, ethylene brassylate and exaltolide) and six ultraviolet-filters (UVFs: 2-ethylhexyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate, 3-(4'-methylbenzylidene) camphor, 2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate, 2-ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenylacrylate, benzophenone and drometrizole trisiloxane) from tomatoes. The proposed methodology was optimized: 2 g of freeze-dried tomato was extracted with 4 mL of water and 10 mL of ethyl acetate, adding 6 g of MgSO₄ and 1.5 g of NaCl, then a dispersive solid-phase extraction was performed using 3 g of MgSO₄, 300 mg of primary-secondary amino adsorbent (PSA) and 300 mg of octadecyl-silica (C18). Validation delivered recoveries between 81 (celestolide) and 119% (musk tibetene), with relative standard deviations <10%. The instrumental limit of detection varied from 0.02 (2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate) to 3.00 pg (exaltolide and musk xylene). Regarding the method quantification limits, it ranged between 0.4 (celestolide) and 47.9 ng g^-1 dw (exaltolide). The method was applied to different varieties of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), revealing UVFs and SMCs between 1 and 210 ng g^-1 dw. Higher concentrations were found for benzophenone (29-210 ng g^-1 dw) and galaxolide (9-53 ng g^-1 dw). The risk associated to the ingestion of contaminated tomatoes has also been estimated, showing that a potential health risk is unlikely.

Synthetic Musks: A Class of Commercial Fragrance Additives in Personal Care Products (PCPs) Causing Concern as Emerging Contaminants

Synthetic musks (SMs) are promising fragrance additives used in personal care products (PCPs). The widespread presence of SMs in environmental media remains a serious risk because of their harmful effects. Recently, the environmental hazards of SMs have been widely reported in various environmental samples including those from coastal and marine regions. This paper provides a systematic review of SMs, including their classification, synthetic routes, analysis and occurrence in environmental samples, fate and toxicity in the environment, as well as the associated risk assessment and pollution control. Research gaps and future opportunities were also identified with the hope of raising interest in this topic.

Distribution of fragrances and PAHs in the surface seawater of the Sicily Channel, Central Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Sea is highly influenced by several anthropic pressures, including different kinds of organic pollutants. Fragrance Materials (FMs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in the surface seawater of the Sicily Channel in offshore and coastal areas. Total concentrations of FMs and PAHs resulted respectively up to 112ngL^-1 and 43ngL^-1, with similar distributions of both classes of analytes. Low values were detected in some coastal samples, due to the upwelling of deep and unpolluted waters, while the presence of gyres probably accumulates contaminants in offshore areas. Confirming previous works, the allergenic and oestrogenic Salicylates generally resulted the most abundant FMs and diagnostic ratios indicated combustion processes as the sources of PAHs. The coupling of the well-known PAHs with a new class of Personal Care Products (PCPs) helped the identification of the major environmental drivers: the results highlighted the role of mesoscale hydrodynamics and suggested long-range atmospheric transport as key factors. The first detection of the selected FMs in open sea areas supports the hypothesis of their environmental persistence.

Personal care products in wild fish in two main Chinese rivers: Bioaccumulation potential and human health risks

Personal care products (PCPs) are widely applied in our daily life, however, little is known about their occurrence in wild fish. We investigated the bioaccumulation and potential risks of 24 PCPs in muscle and liver tissues of wild fish collected from two large rivers of Pearl and Yangtze Rivers in China. The results showed the detection of a total of 13 PCPs including 9 biocides, 2 synthetic musks and 2 benzotriazoles in at least one type of fish tissue from 12 fish species. The compounds with high detection frequencies (>50%) in fish muscle or liver tissues were N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, carbendazim, climbazole, miconazole (MCZ), methylparaben, propylparaben, triclosan (TCS), tonalide, galaxolide (HHCB) and 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (5-TT). Among biocides, synthetic musks and benzotriazoles, TCS, HHCB and benzotriazole showed the maximum concentrations of 79.5ng/g wet weight (ww), 299ng/g ww and 3.14ng/g ww, respectively, in muscle tissue, while MCZ, HHCB and 5-TT showed the maximum concentrations of 432ng/g ww, 2619ng/g ww and 54.5ng/g ww, respectively, in liver tissue. The median values of logarithm of bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for the detected 13 PCPs were ranged 0.8-3.35 in muscle and 0.85-4.58 in liver. The log BAF values of the PCPs displayed good linear relationships with log K_ow and log D_ow (pH-dependent K_ow). The health hazard assessment of 10 detected PCPs in the muscle indicated no appreciable risk to human via consumption of the wild fish.

UV-filters and musk fragrances in seafood commercialized in Europe Union: Occurrence, risk and exposure assessment

In the framework of the FP7 ECsafeSeafood project, 62 seafood samples commercialized in Europe Union from several representative species - mackerel, tuna, salmon, seabream, cod, monkfish, crab, shrimp, octopus, perch and plaice - were analysed for residues of 21 personal care products (PCPs), including 11 UV-filters (UV-Fs) and 10 musk fragrances (musks). PCPs analysis were performed by Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective Rugged, Safe (QuEChERS), combined with liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) or dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE), followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The results showed the presence in a wide range of samples of nine out of eleven UV-Fs compounds analysed, namely 2-ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS), 2-ethylhexyl,4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC), 4-methylbenzylidenecamphor (4-MBC), benzophenone-1 (BP1), benzophenone-3 (BP3), isoamyl-4-methoxycinnamate (IMC), 2,2'-dihydroxy-4,4'-dimethoxybenzophenone (DHMB), homosalate (HS), and octocrylene (OC), whereas galaxolide (HHCB), galaxolide lactone (HHCB-lactone), and tonalide (AHTN) were the most found musks. The potential risks to human health associated with the exposure to eight of the more prevalent PCPs - EHS, EHMC, 4-MBC, BP1, BP3, IMC, HHCB, and AHTN - through seafood consumption were assessed for consumers from five European countries (Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain). Results showed that the human exposure to UV-Fs and musks estimated from the concentration values found in seafood and the daily consumption of concerned seafood species, were far below toxicological reference values.

In vitro determination of transdermal permeation of synthetic musks and estimated dermal uptake through usage of personal care products

Synthetic musks, chemical constituents of personal care products, enter the human body through dermal contact. Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying transdermal permeation of synthetic musks should enhance our understanding of their uptake and distribution in human skin and allow accurate evaluation of associated human exposure. Here, the transdermal permeation dynamics and distribution of galaxolide (HHCB) and tonalide (AHTN) were investigated using an in vitro skin diffusion model. The transdermal permeation amounts of HHCB and AHTN increased rapidly during the first 6 h. The applied HHCB and AHTN amounts did not affect percutaneous absorption rates. HHCB and AHTN remained primarily in the stratum corneum, accounting for 70.0% and 70.3% of the totals during the 24-h period, respectively. The percutaneous absorption rate of both chemicals was ∼11%. HHCB, AHTN, musk ketone, musk xylene, and Musk-T were detected in 29 personal care products. The average total concentrations of the musks were 3990, 54.0, 17.7, and 9.8 μg g^-1 in perfume, shampoo, lotion, and shower gel, respectively. Among the four product categories, HHCB was dominant (57.4%-99.6%), followed by AHTN. The data clearly indicate that polycyclic and nitro musks are most commonly used in personal care products. The total estimated dermal intake (51.6 μg kg^-1_bw day^-1) was markedly higher than total dermal uptake (5.9 μg kg^-1_bw day^-1) when percutaneous absorption rates of the chemicals were added into the calculation. Uptake of HHCB and AHTN via dermal contact of personal care products was significantly higher than that from dust inhalation calculated according to earlier literature data.