Detection of emerging contaminants (UV filters, UV stabilizers and musks) in marine mussels from Portuguese coast by QuEChERS extraction and GC–MS/MS

The UV filters and musk fragrances have come into focus because these compounds are contained and increasingly used not only in sunscreen products but also in many products of daily use, such as cosmetics, skin creams, plastics or varnish. In view of this, the main objective of the present work was to develop and validate a method for the determination of three UV filters, two UV stabilizers and four musks in mussel samples (Mytilus galloprovincialis). The procedure combined a QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) extraction method with an analysis by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The methodology allowed the determination of target analytes at trace concentration levels (ng/g), with mean recoveries ranging from 91 to 112%. A monitoring study was conducted in four beaches in the Portuguese coast which are impacted by recreational activities and outflow of treated waste water effluents in rivers. The results are used to assess the occurrence of UV filters in comparison with UV stabilizers and musk fragrances which indicate other activities than bathing.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

From risk assessment to regulation

Pesticides are among the most heavily regulated chemicals, not unlike pharmaceuticals. Human health risks from exposure to pesticides are assessed by integrating information on the hazardous characteristics of the pesticide, usually gained from experimental studies, with data on human exposure. This process allows the setting of health-based guidance values for pesticide operators, bystanders, residents, and consumers who may be exposed through residues in the diet. Pesticide regulation is currently undergoing a paradigm shift with a move away from traditional toxicity assessment of individual substances in experimental animals toward integration of novel assessment methods which allow mechanism-based assessment of multiple exposures