Toxicity assessments of benzophenones and related derivatives in medaka fish

抄録

Benzophenones (BPs) are a category of chemicals with similar structures, commonly used as UV filters (e.g., BP itself and BP1-BP12) in personal care products such as sunscreens, skincare products, and body washes. Their derivatives such as 2-methyl benzophenone (2MBP), 3-methyl benzophenone (3MBP), 4-methyl benzophenone (4MBP), 4-phenyl benzophenone (4PBP), and 4,4'-diethylamino-benzophenone (DEAB) are often used as photoinitiators, binders, or additives in printing inks of food contact materials. Because of the high usage of BPs and their potential for environmental persistence, residues of these chemicals are frequently detected in various environmental matrices and organisms. Studies have shown that BP3 increases coral bleaching rates and exhibits the estrogenic activity in aquatic life. However, much fewer studies report on the ecotoxicity of BP derivatives. Hence, the objective of this study is to systematically analyze in vivo toxic effects of specific BPs and their derivatives on medaka (Oryzias latipes) fish. The LC50 value from 96 hr-acute mortality of 7-day post-hatching medaka larvae showed that DEAB was the most toxic compound and BP was the least toxic compound. With the 7-day-sublethal exposure, only 4PBP and DEAB dose-dependently increased larval mobility at tested concentrations. The altered larval locomotion by 4PBP may be associated with chemical-induced oxidative stress. We will further investigate the toxic mechanism of 4PBP and DEAB in medaka fish regarding fish behavior under environmentally relevant exposure conditions.