Assessing UV Filter Exposure in Queensland, Australia: Human Biomonitoring Evidence Highlighting Homosalate in Children.
5 affiliations
- 1Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, Bochum44789, Germany.
- 2Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland4102, Australia.
- 3School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland4059, Australia.
- 4Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology , Bowen Hills, Queensland4006, Australia.
- 5Minderoo Centre-Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland4102, Australia.
Abstract
Sunscreens are an important protection measure against harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. However, potential health effects of several commonly used UV filters are currently being discussed. We conducted a human biomonitoring (HBM)-based exposure and risk assessment for octocrylene (OC), 2-ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS), and homosalate (HMS; a mixture of cis- and trans-HMS) in urine samples collected in Queensland and across Australia from 2012 to 2023, pooled by age, sex, and collection period (187 pools representing approximately 18,700 individuals). The pooled urines were analyzed by LC-MS/MS for specific exposure biomarkers of these UV filters. Determinants of exposure were investigated using Tobit regression. Biomarker concentrations increased over time, and clear age trends were observed, with children showing roughly one order of magnitude higher concentrations than adolescents/adults. Concentrations of the EHS biomarker 5cx-EPS exceeded the health-based guidance value (HBM-I) in 23% of children's pooled urines. For the cis-HMS biomarker HMS-CA5, most pooled urines of children exceeded HBM-I (80%) and 53% even HBM-II. These findings indicate the need to reduce HMS exposure in at least some individuals, confirming the necessity for stricter regulations for homosalate in Australia, as recently enforced in the European Union and recommended by Australian authorities, to ensure sunscreen safety.
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BibTeX
@article{ebert2026assessing,
title = {{Assessing UV Filter Exposure in Queensland, Australia: Human Biomonitoring Evidence Highlighting Homosalate in Children.}},
author = {Katharina E Ebert and Danielle E Que and Anne Lotz and Thomas Brüning and Leisa-Maree L Toms and Peter Hobson and Heath Glover and Holger M Koch and Jochen F Mueller and Daniel Bury},
journal = {Environmental science \& technology},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.6c09445},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42916227},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Assessing UV Filter Exposure in Queensland, Australia: Human Biomonitoring Evidence Highlighting Homosalate in Children.
AU - Katharina E Ebert
AU - Danielle E Que
AU - Anne Lotz
AU - Thomas Brüning
AU - Leisa-Maree L Toms
AU - Peter Hobson
AU - Heath Glover
AU - Holger M Koch
AU - Jochen F Mueller
AU - Daniel Bury
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - Environmental science & technology
DO - 10.1021/acs.est.6c09445
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42916227
AB - Sunscreens are an important protection measure against harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. However, potential health effects of several commonly used UV filters are currently being discussed. We conducted a human biomonitoring (HBM)-based exposure and risk assessment for octocrylene (OC), 2-ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS), and homosalate (HMS; a mixture of cis- and trans-HMS) in urine samples collected in Queensland and across Australia from 2012 to 2023, pooled by age, sex, and collection period (187 pools representing approximately 18,700 individuals). The pooled urines were analyzed by LC-MS/MS for specific exposure biomarkers of these UV filters. Determinants of exposure were investigated using Tobit regression. Biomarker concentrations increased over time, and clear age trends were observed, with children showing roughly one order of magnitude higher concentrations than adolescents/adults. Concentrations of the EHS biomarker 5cx-EPS exceeded the health-based guidance value (HBM-I) in 23% of children's pooled urines. For the cis-HMS biomarker HMS-CA5, most pooled urines of children exceeded HBM-I (80%) and 53% even HBM-II. These findings indicate the need to reduce HMS exposure in at least some individuals, confirming the necessity for stricter regulations for homosalate in Australia, as recently enforced in the European Union and recommended by Australian authorities, to ensure sunscreen safety.
SN - 0013-936X
SN - 1520-5851
ER -