Impact of Pregnancy on the Levels of the Sunscreen Agent Benzophenone-3: Data from NHANES 2005-2010

Abstract

Data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to evaluate the impact of pregnancy on the levels of the sunscreen agent benzophenone-3. Regression models were fitted to evaluate this association with adjustment for other factors that affect the levels of these chemicals. There was a suggestion that pregnant females had higher levels of benzophenone-3 but the differences were not statistically significant. Even though statistically significant trends were not detected, levels of benzophenone-3 decreased over pregnancy trimesters. Smoking was associated with statistically significantly lower levels of benzophenone-3. Inability to store iron was associated with lower levels of benzophenone-3. Non-Hispanic blacks had the lowest levels of benzophenone-3 as compared with other race/ethnicities. Body mass index was inversely associated with the levels of benzophenone-3. IntroductionBenzophenones (BP) are a class of compounds used to protect the skin and hair from ultraviolet radiation. Specifically, benzophenone-3 (2-hydroxy-4-methxy-benzophenone, BP-3) absorbs and dissipates ultraviolet radiation which facilitates its use as a sunscreen agent. It is also used in many other consumer products, for example, as fragrance and flavor enhancer, photoinitiator, ultraviolet curing agent, and polymerization inhibitor [1]. BP-3 has also been detected in both raw and water treated by water filtration plants [2] in California, in waste water in Slovenia and in Switzerland [3,4]. BP-3 has been detected in urine of pregnant females and more than half of the amniotic fluid samples [5] with a high correlation of 0.53 between their concentrations in maternal urine and amniotic fluid. In a study of 105 pregnant females in Northern Puerto Rico [6], BP-3 was detected in 100% the urine samples and the levels of BP-3 among Puerto Rican pregnant females were found to be higher than females of reproductive age in general US population (52.2 ng/mL vs. 38.6 ng/mL for NHANES and 36.3 ng/mL for NHANES 2009 -2010. BP-3 concentrations were found to be positively associated with birth weight and head circumference at birth [7]. Higher maternal BP-3 concentrations were associated with a similar decrease in birth weight among girls but with greater birth weight in boys in a study done in New York City [8]. Higher concentrations of BP-3 were found to be associated with reduced gestation [9]. Using data from 2003-2004 cycle of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), Calafat et al. found adjusted concentrations of BP-3 to be higher among females than males, and higher in nonHispanic whites than non-Hispanic blacks [1].The adverse health effects associated with the exposures to BP-3 should of particular concern for the developing fetus. To the best of our knowledge, we do not know of a study done in the general population to delineate the differences in the concentrations of BP-3 in pregnant and non-pregnant females. Consequently, this study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of pregnancy on the concen...