Acute Toxicity and Ecological Risk Assessment of Benzophenone and N,N-Diethyl-3 Methylbenzamide in Personal Care Products

Abstract

Benzophenone (BP) and N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) are two chemicals often used in personal care products (PCPs). There is a lack of systematic ecotoxicological evaluations about the two chemicals to aquatic organisms. In the present study, the acute toxic effects on Chlorella vulgaris, Daphnia Magana, and Brachydanio rerio were tested and the ecotoxicological risks were evaluated. For BP, the 96-h half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) on C. vulgaris was 6.86 mg/L; the 24-h median lethal concentration (LC50) on D. magana was 7.63 mg/L; the 96-h LC50 on B. rerio was 14.73 mg/L. For DEET, those were 270.72 mg/L, 40.74 mg/L, and 109.67 mg/L, respectively. The mixture toxicity of BP and DEET, on C. vulgaris, D. magana, and B. rerio all showed an additive effect. The induced predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs) for BP and DEET by assessment factor (AF) method are 0.003 mg/L and 0.407 mg/L, respectively. Both are lower than the concentrations detected from environment at present, verifying that BP and DEET are low-risk chemicals to the environment.

Evaluation by the Ames Assay of the Mutagenicity of UV Filters Using Benzophenone and Benzophenone-1

“…Therefore, the use of benzophenone in the cosmetics field has continued to expand to conditioners, lotions, and lipsticks. In addition, it is a spice fixative that imparts a sweet aroma and is used in many perfumes and soaps [ 3 ]. In the production and daily consumption processes, the residues of UV filters are thought to be largely discharged into wastewaters by the production process and daily use [ 4 ].…”

“…In the past, benzophenones (BPs) have been considered harmless. However, toxicological studies [ 3 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ] have shown that BPs have certain acute toxicities, genotoxicities, reproductive and endocrine disruptive effects, as well as significant estrogenic activity.…”

Acute Toxicity and Ecological Risk Assessment of Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) and Benzophenone-4 (BP-4) in Ultraviolet (UV)-Filters

“…The different combinations of chemicals show different effects. In our previous studies, the mixture toxicity of BP and N,N -diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), on C. vulgaris , D. magna , and B. rerio all showed an additive effect [ 7 ], which behaved different with the combination of BP-3 and BP-4. The results of this study revealed the effects of a mixture of BP-3 and BP-4 to three trophic level organisms in an aquatic ecosystem that should help us understand the behavior and effects of these chemicals in the environment.…”

“…Although they are low concentration chemicals, the great mount discharging and unknown fates in the aquatic ecosystem should alarm us to pay attention to them. In our previous study [ 7 ], the acute toxic effects of Benzophenone (BP) on three species of organisms were tested and also the mixing toxic with N,N -diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET). The acute toxicity of BP to the 3 tested organisms were classified as high or medium-level toxicity [ 7 ].…”

“…In our previous study [ 7 ], the acute toxic effects of Benzophenone (BP) on three species of organisms were tested and also the mixing toxic with N,N -diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET). The acute toxicity of BP to the 3 tested organisms were classified as high or medium-level toxicity [ 7 ]. The results sparked our interests to study the toxicity of all BPs series chemicals.…”