Abstract
The sunscreen UV filter 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid (PBSA) is an emerging pollutant recently detected in surface waters. PBSA is photolabile in pure water and sunscreen cream. PBSA photoinduces DNA damages. However, the photochemical behavior and environmental persistence of PBSA are not well known. Here, we studied the photochemical transformation of PBSA in sea and continental waters. Results show that photodegradation is dependent on water constituents. Whereas low concentrations of humic acids accelerate PBSA photodegradation slightly, high concentrations of humic acids inhibit the photodegradation. Colloidal organic matters of high molecular weights are the main water constituents inhibiting photodegradation. The estimated solar photolytic half-life of PBSA at environmental concentration levels ranged from 3 days from June to August to 35 days in December. Findings show that PBSA is not persistent in waters that are low in colloidal organic matters.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Balmer ME, Buser H-R, Müller MD, Poiger T (2005) Occurrence of some organic UV filters in wastewater, in surface waters, and in fish from Swiss Lakes. Environ Sci Technol 39:953–962
Bastien N, Millau J-F, Rouabhia M, Davies RJ, Drouin R (2010) The sunscreen agent 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid photosensitizes the formation of oxidized guanines in cellulo after UV-A or UV-B exposure. J Invest Dermatol 130:2463–2471
Batchelli S, Muller FLL, Baalousha M, Lead JR (2009) Size fractionation and optical properties of colloids in an organic-rich estuary (Thurso, UK). Mar Chem 113:227–237
Boreen AL, Arnold WA, McNeill K (2005) Triplet-sensitized photodegradation of sulfa drugs containing six-membered heterocyclic groups: identification of an SO2 extrusion photoproduct. Environ Sci Technol 39:3630–3638
Bouillon RC, Miller WL (2005) Photodegradation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in natural waters: laboratory assessment of the nitrate-photolysis-induced DMS oxidation. Environ Sci Technol 39:9471–9477
Boxall ABA, Kolpin DW, Halling-Sørensen B, Tolls J (2003) Are veterinary medicines causing environmental risks? Too little is known about the effects of these compounds, their metabolites, and degradation products. Environ Sci Technol 37:286A–294A
Buser H-R, Balmer ME, Schmid P, Kohler M (2006) Occurrence of UV Filters 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and octocrylene in fish from various Swiss rivers with inputs from wastewater treatment plants. Environ Sci Technol 40:1427–1431
Canonica S, Kohn T, Mac M, Real FJ, Wirz J, von Gunten U (2005) Photosensitizer method to determine rate constants for the reaction of carbonate radical with organic compounds. Environ Sci Technol 39:9182–9188
Chen Y, Hu C, Hu XX, Qu JH (2009) Indirect photodegradation of amine drugs in aqueous solution under simulated sunlight. Environ Sci Technol 43:2760–2765
Cohen SG, Parola A, Parsons GH Jr (1973) Photoreduction by amines. Chem Rev 73:141–161
Damiani E, Greci L, Parsons R, Knowland J (1999) Nitroxide radicals protect DNA from damage when illuminated in vitro in the presence of dibenzoylmethane and a common sunscreen ingredient. Free Radical Bio Med 26:809–816
Damiani E, Carloni P, Biondi C, Greci L (2000) Increased oxidative modification of albumin when illuminated in vitro in the presence of a common sunscreen ingredient: protection by nitroxide radicals. Free Radical Bio Med 28:193–201
Díaz-Cruz MS, Llorca M, Barceló D (2008) Organic UV filters and their photodegradates, metabolites and disinfection by-products in the aquatic environment. TRAC Trend Anal Chem 27:873–887
Dulin D, Mill T (1982) Development and evaluation of sunlight actinometers. Environ Sci Technol 16:815–820
Edhlund BL, Arnold WA, McNeill K (2006) Aquatic photochemistry of nitrofuran antibiotics. Environ Sci Technol 40:5422–5427
Fent K, Zenker A, Rapp M (2010) Wide spread occurrence of estrogenic UV-filters in aquatic ecosystems in Switzerland. Environ Pollut 158:1817–1824
Frank R, Klöpffer W (1988) Spectral solar photon irradiance in central Europe and the adjacent North Sea. Chemosphere 17:985–994
Gaffney JS, Marley NA, Clark SB (1996) Humic and fulvic acids and organic colloidal materials in the environment. In: Chapter 1 in humic and fulvic acid. ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society, Washington
Ge LK, Chen JW, Wei XX, Zhang SY, Qiao XL, Cai XY, Xie Q (2010) Aquatic photochemistry of fluoroquinolone antibiotics: kinetics, pathways, and multivariate effects of main water constituents. Environ Sci Technol 44:2400–2405
Goksøyr A, Tollefsen KE, Grung M, Løken K, Lie E, Zenker A, Fent K, Schlabach M, Huber S (2009) Balsa raft crossing the pacific finds low contaminant levels. Environ Sci Technol 43:4783–4790
Gonҫalves C, Pérez S, Osorio V, Petrovic M, Alpendurada MF, Barceló D (2011) Photofate of oseltamivir (tamiflu) and oseltamivir carboxylate under natural and simulated solar irradiation: kinetics, identification of the transformation products, and environmental occurrence. Environ Sci Technol 45:4307–4314
Guerard JJ, Chin Y-P, Mash H, Hadad CM (2009) Photochemical fate of sulfadimethoxine in aquaculture waters. Environ Sci Technol 43:8587–8592
Jammoul A, Dumas S, D’Anna B, George C (2009) Photoinduced oxidation of sea salt halides by aromatic ketones: a source of halogenated radicals. Atmos Chem Phys 9:4229–4237
Khetan SK, Collins TJ (2007) Human pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment: a challenge to green chemistry. Chem Rev 107:2319–2364
Liu QT, Williams HE (2007) Kinetics and degradation products for direct photolysis of β-blockers in water. Environ Sci Technol 41:803–810
Mack J, Bolton JR (1999) Photochemistry of nitrite and nitrate in aqueous solution: a review. J Photochem Photobiol, A 128:1–13
MacManus-Spencer LA, Tse ML, Klein JL, Kracunas AE (2011) Aqueous photolysis of the organic ultraviolet filter chemical octyl methoxycinnamate. Environ Sci Technol 45:3931–3937
Morohoshi K, Yamamoto H, Kamata R, Shiraishi F, Koda T, Morita M (2005) Estrogenic activity of 37 components of commercial sunscreen lotions evaluated by in vitro assays. Toxicol In Vitro 19:457–469
Richardson SD (2009) Water analysis: emerging contaminants and current issues. Anal Chem 81:4645–4677
Rodil R, Quintana JB, López-Mahia P, Muniategui-Lorenzo S, Prada-Rodriguez D (2008) Multiclass determination of sunscreen chemicals in water samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Chem 80:1307–1315
Schwarzenbach RP, Escher BI, Fenner K, Hofstetter TB, Johnson CA, von Gunten U, Wehrli B (2006) The challenge of micropollutants in aquatic systems. Science 313:1072–1077
Stevenson C, Davies RJH (1999) Photosensitization of guanine-specific DNA damage by 2-phenylbenzimidazole and the sunscreen agent 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid. Chem Res Toxicol 12:38–45
Sturini M, Speltini A, Maraschi F, Profumo A, Pretali L, Fasani E, Albini A (2010) Photochemical degradation of marbofloxacin and enrofloxacin in natural waters. Environ Sci Technol 44:4564–4569
Tranvik LJ, Jørgensen NOG (1995) Colloidal and dissolved organic matter in lake water: carbohydrate and amino acid composition, and ability to support bacterial growth. Biogeochemistry 30:77–97
Vaughan PP, Blough NV (1998) Photochemical formation of hydroxyl radical by constituents of natural waters. Environ Sci Technol 32:2947–2953
Vione D, Falletti G, Maurino V, Minero C, Pelizzetti E, Malandrino M, Ajassa R, Olariu R-I, Arsene C (2006) Sources and sinks of hydroxyl radicals upon irradiation of natural water samples. Environ Sci Technol 40:3775–3781
Werner JJ, Arnold WA, McNeill K (2006) Water hardness as a photochemical parameter: tetracycline photolysis as a function of calcium concentration, magnesium concentration, and pH. Environ Sci Technol 40:7236–7241
Zepp RG, Cline DM (1977) Rates of direct photolysis in aquatic environment. Environ Sci Technol 11:359–366
Zhang SY, Chen JW, Qiao XL, Ge LK, Cai XY, Na GS (2010) Quantum chemical investigation and experimental verification on the aquatic photochemistry of the sunscreen 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid. Environ Sci Technol 44:7484–7490
Acknowledgments
The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21137001, 20977014, 20890113), the High-tech Research and Development Program of China (2010-AA065105), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central University, and the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (IRT0813) of China.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, S., Chen, J., Wang, Y. et al. Humic acids decrease the photodegradation of the sunscreen UV filter 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid in natural waters. Environ Chem Lett 10, 389–394 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-012-0364-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-012-0364-4