Ecotoxicological effects of personal care products on the sea urchin Echinometra lucunter

Abstract

Personal care products (PCPs) are increasingly studied worldwide to better understand their ecotoxicological effects on different aquatic species. However, studies assessing their ecotoxicological effects on tropical marine aquatic organisms are still scarce. To address this information gap, this study aimed to evaluate the acute and chronic toxicity of three PCPs: Methylparaben (MP), Propylparaben (PP), and Butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) on the tropical sea urchin Echinometra lucunter. The procedures were based on the protocols established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 2009) and the Brazilian National Standards (ABNT NBR 15350, 2012). Predictive computational tools (OPERA QSAR and VEGA QSAR) were used to evaluate the persistence/biodegradability, bioaccumulation, and mobility of PCPs. Acute exposure results showed the following ranking of toxicity: BHT (IC50 = 38.14 mg.L−1) >PP (IC50 = 73.20 mg.L−1) >MP (IC50 = 74.47 mg.L−1). Chronic toxicity tests indicated that BHT presented the lowest IC50 (6.85 mg.L−1), followed by PP (IC50 = 15.57 mg.L−1) and MP (IC50 = 20.09 mg.L−1). Additionally, in silico predictions support the findings related to the potential risks of these PCPs in aquatic ecosystems. The data obtained in this study can support future analyses of environmental risk concerning PCPs and support the establishment of concentration limits in relevant legislation.