Acute Toxicity and Ecological Risk Assessment of Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) and Benzophenone-4 (BP-4) in Ultraviolet (UV)-Filters

Ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing chemicals (UV filters) are used in personal care products for the protection of human skin and hair from damage by UV radiation. Although these substances are released into the environment in the production and consumption processes, little is known about their ecotoxicology effects. The acute toxicity and potential ecological risk of UV filters benzophenone-3 (BP-3) and benzophenone-4 (BP-4) onChlorella vulgaris,Daphnia magna, andBrachydanio reriowere analyzed in the present study. The EC50values (96 h) of BP-3 and BP-4 onC. vulgariswere 2.98 and 201.00 mg/L, respectively. The 48 h-LC50of BP-3 and BP-4 onD. magnawere 1.09 and 47.47 mg/L, respectively. The 96 h-LC50of BP-3 and BP-4 onB. reriowere 3.89 and 633.00 mg/L, respectively. The toxicity of a mixture of BP-3 and BP-4 onC. vulgaris,D. magna, andB. rerioall showed antagonistic effects. The induced predicted no-effect concentrations of BP-3 and BP-4 by the assessment factor method were 1.80 × 10−3and 0.47 mg/L, respectively, by assessment factor (AF) method, which were both lower than the concentrations detected in the environment at present, verifying that BP-3 and BP-4 remain low-risk chemicals to the aquatic ecosystem.Keywords:benzophenone-3;benzophenone-4;UV filters;acute toxicity;ecological risk assessment