Widening the Lens on UV Filters: Newfound Ubiquity of Triazine UV Filters in Breast Milk from South China and Implications for Augmented “Cocktail” Exposure in Infants
Yuying Sun, Hui Xie, Bibai Du, Jiehua Li, Liang‐Ying Liu, Ying Guo, Lixi Zeng
Abstract
Our previous work demonstrated triazine UV filters (TA-UVFs) as an emerging class of abundant, ubiquitous pollutants in the indoor environment; however, information about human exposure to these novel chemicals remains unknown. In this study, 17 TA-UVFs as well as 9 benzotriazole (BTR)-UVFs and 6 benzophenone (BP)-UVFs were included in a comprehensive, dedicated screening in breast milk from South China. In addition to some previously unrecognized BTR- and BP-UVFs, 11 of the 17 TA-UVFs were detected for the first time in breast milk, with ethylhexyl triazone (EHT) and bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine (BEMT) as the predominant, omnipresent pollutants in humans. The median total concentration of TA-UVFs reached 1350 pg/mL, which is nearly half that of BTR-UVFs (3080 pg/mL) or BP-UVFs (3220 pg/mL). More daily use of personal care products (≥5 types) significantly elevated breast milk levels for all three classes of UVFs (p < 0.05) in the studied population. The overall daily intake of UVFs for infants via breast-feeding will substantially increase by 28% under the median exposure scenario if TA-UVFs are included in an integrative assessment. The current breast milk levels of TA-UVFs indicate a demand for additional monitoring and actions to reduce maternal and infant exposure to these emerging contaminants.