Degradation in chlorinated water of the UV filter 4-tert-butyl-4′-methoxydibenzoylmethane present in commercial sunscreens

Abstract

4-tert-Butyl-4'-methoxydibenzoylmethane (BMDM) is a widely used ultraviolet A filter. In this work, we have studied the effect of chlorine and dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentrations on the stability of UV filter (BMDM) present in two commercial sunscreen cream formulations in water. An experimental design was used to assess the effect of the two experimental factors on the degradation of BMDM. Higher concentrations of chlorine lead to higher degradation percentages of BMDM and higher concentrations of DOM inhibit its degradation. Moreover, a mono and a dichloro derivate of BMDM were identified as by-products.

Advances in analytical methods and occurrence of organic UV-filters in the environment — A review

“…The 46 organic UV-filters were grouped in 11 chemical families (Bester, 2007;Crista et al, 2014): benzophenone derivatives (two benzene rings joined by a carbonyl group), p-aminobenzoic acid derivatives (one benzene ring substituted with an amino group and a carboxyl group in the para position), camphor derivatives (organic compounds classified as terpenoids), benzotriazole derivatives (composed by a fused benzene and 5 member unsaturated ring structure with 3 nitrogen atoms), salicylate derivatives (containing a monohydroxybenzoic acid group), triazine derivatives (six-membered benzene-like ring, with three carbons replaced by nitrogen atoms), benzimidazole derivatives (heterocyclic aromatic organic compound derivative with a merged benzene and imidazole ring), cinnamate derivatives (unsaturated carboxylic acids), benzylmalonate derivatives (esters of dicarboxylic acids with a benzylic substituent), crylene derivatives (aromatic acrylates) and dibenzoyl methane derivatives (aromatic 1,3-diketone derivative of acetylacetone, where both methyl groups have been substituted by phenyl groups). Another compound, benzhydrol (diphenylmethanol), was not grouped in any family because it is a metabolite that results from benzophenone reduction.…”

“…Inorganic sunscreens, like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, protect the skin by reflecting and scattering UV radiation (Crista et al, 2014). In this review, only organic UV-filters are considered because of their frequent use at higher quantities.…”

An Insight into Ingredients of Toxicological Interest in Personal Care Products and A Small–Scale Sampling Survey of the Greek Market: Delineating a Potential Contamination Source for Water Resources

“…According to the data presented in Table 6, this substance was moderately removed from conventional WWTPs. The case of avobenzone was further complicated since it forms chloro-metabolites and chlorophenols under disinfection (chlorination, UV-irradiation) [93,94]. These products are generally toxic and little research has been carried out on their environmental fate, mainly on swimming pools and not on WWTP effluents.…”

Analyzing the Photoprotection Efficiency of Sunscreens Containing Antioxidants under Disinfection Conditions

“…In both cases, parent UV filters, providing UV protection, degrade and may lose their photoprotective role. Several studies reported various reactions of UV filters in swimming waters under chlorinated conditions, leading mainly to the formation of chlorinated DBPs, with an emphasis on the determination of primary chlorinated derivatives, or their further degradation [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Photostability studies showed that dichloro-derivatives in chlorinated waters are less stable than the parent compound, which is not the case for monochloro-derivatives (formed initially) [ 22 ] in the case of BP-3.…”