Prenatal exposure to benzophenone-type UV filters and the associations with neonatal birth outcomes and maternal health in south China

• Published in: Environment international Vol. 189; p. 108797
• Main Authors: Fu, Jinfeng, Yao, Yao, Huang, Zhihong, Huang, Jiayin, Zhang, Duo, Li, Xiangyu, Xu, Jiayi, Xiao, Qinru, Lu, Shaoyou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: adverse effects; Bayesian theory; Benzophenone-type UV filters; benzophenones; Birth outcomes; birth weight; blood pressure; blood serum; chemical species; chest; China; cosmetics; Endocrine disruptors; environment; glucose; Health risk; humans; maternal exposure; metabolism; Pregnant women; progeny; skin (animal); thyroid hormones; toxicity; triacylglycerols; ultraviolet radiation; China; Benzophenone-type UV filters; Endocrine disruptors; Birth outcomes; Pregnant women; Health risk
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108797

[Display omitted] •BP-3 was the most abundant BP derivative in serum from pregnant women.•Prenatal exposure to BPs may lead to lower BW and BC in newborns.•TG mediated the negative correlation between BPs and maternal blood pressure.•Co-exposure to BPs caused alterations in the thyroid hormones and glucose levels. Benzophenone (BP)-type UV filters are commonly added to sunscreens and cosmetics to protect against UV radiation for human skin and hair. As a result, BPs are ubiquitous in the environment and human body, and their endocrine-disrupting characteristics have been a hot topic of discussion. However, our knowledge regarding the detrimental effects of prenatal exposure to BPs on pregnant women and their offspring remains limited. To fill this gap, we determined five BP derivatives in 600 serum samples obtained from pregnant women. All the target analytes, except 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP-1), have achieved a 100 % detection rate. The most prevalent compound was 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3), with a median concentration of 0.545 ng/mL. Significant and positive correlations were observed among BP derivatives, indicating both endogenous metabolism and common external sources. Utilizing Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile-based g-computation (QGC) models, we found relationships between BP exposure and reduced neonatal birth weight (BW) and birth chest circumference (BC) during the third trimester. Notably, the adverse effect of BPs on birth size was sex-specific. Moreover, triglyceride (TG) was identified as a potential mediator of the effect of BPs on blood pressure, and co-exposure to BPs was linked to disruptions in thyroid hormone levels and glucose regulation. Further research is warranted to unravel the toxicity of BPs and their detrimental effects on pregnant women and fetuses.