Concentrations of the Sunscreen Agent Benzophenone-3 in Residents of the US

Results

We detected BP-3 in 96.8% of the 2,517 samples at concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 21,700 μg/L; 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 ( Table 1 ).

The final model for adults included sex, race/ethnicity, age, age squared (p = 0.038), creatinine concentration (log scale), and the interaction terms creatinine*sex (p < 0.001) and age*race/ethnicity (p = 0.04) ( Table 2 ). Females had significantly higher BP-3 concentrations (p ≤ 0.04) than did males, regardless of creatinine level [see Supplemental Tables S1 and S2 (http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/11269/suppl.pdf). Although BP-3 concentrations increased linearly as log creatinine increased for both sexes (p < 0.001), the increase was more pronounced for males than for females (β for males, 1.12; for females, 0.65). Also, as age increased, BP-3 LSGM concentrations showed a significant quadratic trend for Mexican Americans (p = 0.016) and a significant linear positive trend for non-Hispanic blacks (p = 0.022) but no significant linear or quadratic trend for non-Hispanic whites (Figure 1). LSGM concentrations of BP-3 for non-Hispanic whites were significantly higher than for non-Hispanic blacks, regardless of age (p ≤ 0.01), and significantly higher than for Mexican Americans only for 20- to 29-year-olds (p = 0.01). LSGM concentrations of BP-3 were significantly higher for Mexican Americans than for non-Hispanic blacks only for 30- to 39-year-olds (p = 0.01) [see Supplemental Tables S1 and S2 (http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/11269/suppl.pdf)].

(Enlarge Image)

LSGM concentrations of BP-3 (in micrograms per liter) by age and race/ethnicity: (A) children and adolescents and (B) adults. Error bars indicate 95% CIs.

The final model for children and adolescents included sex (p < 0.001), race/ethnicity, age, creatinine concentration (log scale) (p < 0.001), and a race/ethnicity*age (p = 0.01) interaction term ( Table 2 ). LSGM concentrations of BP-3 increased as log creatinine increased (β = 0.77, p < 0.001). LSGM BP-3 concentrations for girls [30.2 μg/L; 95% confidence interval (CI), 21.4-42.6 μg/L] were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than for boys (16.1 μg/L; 95% CI, 13.2-19.8 μg/L). BP-3 concentrations also decreased linearly as age increased (p = 0.0005) for non-Hispanic whites but not for Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic blacks [Figure 1; see also Supplemental Table S3 (http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/11269/suppl.pdf)]. LSGM concentrations of BP-3 for non-Hispanic whites were significantly higher than LSGM concentrations for non-Hispanic blacks, regardless of age, and for Mexican Americans only at younger ages [p < 0.001 at 8.5 years, p < 0.01 at 12 years; Supplemental Table S4 (http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/11269/suppl.pdf)]. LSGM BP-3 concentrations were significantly higher for Mexican Americans than for non-Hispanic blacks only for older children (p = 0.01, at 12 and at 15.6 years, p = 0.03 at 17.4 years) [Supplemental Table S4 (http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/11269/suppl.pdf)].

For participants with urinary concentrations above the 95th percentile of BP-3, sex (p < 0.001) and race/ethnicity (p = 0.03), but not age, were significantly associated univariately. In the final multiple logistics regression, sex (p < 0.001) and race/ethnicity (p = 0.03) were significant [Supplemental Table S5 (http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/11269/suppl.pdf)]. Females were 3.5 times more likely than males to be above the 95th percentile [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 3.5; 95% CI, 1.9-6.5]. Non-Hispanic whites were 6.8 times more likely to have BP-3 concentrations above the 95th percentile (adjusted OR = 6.8; 95% CI, 2.9-16.2) than were non-Hispanic blacks, and Mexican Americans were four times more likely to be above the 95th percentile (adjusted OR = 4.04; 95% CI, 1.1-15.5) than were non-Hispanic blacks. We found no significant difference between non-Hispanic whites and Mexican Americans.

Cite this: Concentrations of the Sunscreen Agent Benzophenone-3 in Residents of the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004 - Medscape - Jul 01, 2008.

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