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Urinary concentrations of benzophenone-type ultraviolet radiation filters and couples' fecundity.

ABSTRACT: Concern has arisen about benzophenone (BP) ultraviolet (UV) radiation filters, given their use in sunscreen and personal-care products and their reported estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity. We recruited 501 couples who were discontinuing use of contraceptives in order to become pregnant for the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) Study (Michigan and Texas, 2005-2009). Couples provided urine specimens and completed daily journals until they either achieved pregnancy or had tried for 12 months. Women used fertility monitors to time sexual intercourse and digital pregnancy tests. Urinary concentrations of 5 UV filters (ng/mL) were determined using triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry: 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (also called BP-1); 2,2',4,4'-tetrahydroxybenzophenone (BP-2); 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3); 2,2'-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-8); and 4-hydroxybenzophenone. Fecundability odds ratios were estimated for each UV filter (dichotomized at the 75th percentile) and adjusted for age, creatinine concentration, body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)(2)), cotinine concentration, season, and site, while accounting for time off contraception. Separate models were fitted for each UV filter and partner; final models included partners' concentrations. Male partners' concentrations of BP-2 and 4-hydroxybenzophenone were associated with reduced fecundity in adjusted models (fecundability odds ratio (FOR) = 0.69 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.50, 0.95) and FOR = 0.74 (95% CI: 0.54, 1.00), respectively). In models adjusting for both partners' concentrations, male BP-2 concentration remained associated with reduced fecundity (FOR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.97). These data suggest that male exposure to select UV filters may diminish couples' fecundity, resulting in a longer time to pregnancy.

SUBMITTER: Buck Louis GM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4262441 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Urinary concentrations of benzophenone-type ultraviolet radiation filters and couples' fecundity.

Buck Louis Germaine M GM Kannan Kurunthachalam K Sapra Katherine J KJ Maisog José J Sundaram Rajeshwari R

American journal of epidemiology 20141113 12

Concern has arisen about benzophenone (BP) ultraviolet (UV) radiation filters, given their use in sunscreen and personal-care products and their reported estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity. We recruited 501 couples who were discontinuing use of contraceptives in order to become pregnant for the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) Study (Michigan and Texas, 2005-2009). Couples provided urine specimens and completed daily journals until they either achieved pregn ...[more]

PMID: 25395025

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Project description:The secondary sex ratio (SSR), defined as the ratio of males to females at birth, has been investigated in relation to endocrine disruptors to search for environmental toxicants perturbing human sex selection. Benzophenone (BP)-type ultraviolet (UV) filters, which are used in sunscreens and personal care products, have been reported to exert estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities. This study aimed to evaluate the association between maternal, paternal, and couple urinary concentrations of BP-type UV filters and the SSR, given the absence of previous investigation. The study cohort comprised 220 couples who were enrolled in the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) Study between 2005 and 2009 prior to conception and who had a singleton birth during the follow-up period. Couples' urinary concentrations of five BP-type UV filters (ng/mL) were measured using triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry: 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP-1), 2,2',4,4'-tetrahydroxybenzophenone (BP-2), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3), 2,2'-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-8), and 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4-OH-BP). Modified Poisson regression models were used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) of a male birth for each BP-type UV filter, after adjusting for potential confounders. When maternal and paternal urinary BP-type UV filter concentrations were modeled jointly, both maternal BP-2 (2nd vs 1st tertile, RR, 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-0.91) and paternal BP-2 (3rd vs 1st tertile, RR, 0.67, 95% CI, 0.45-0.99; p-trend, 0.04) were significantly associated with an excess of female births. Contrarily, maternal 4-OH-BP was significantly associated with an excess of male births (2nd vs 1st tertile, RR, 1.87, 95% CI, 1.27-2.74; 3rd vs 1st tertile, RR, 1.80, 95% CI, 1.13-2.87; p-trend, 0.02). Our findings provide the first evidence suggesting that BP-type UV filters may affect the SSR. However, future corroboration is needed, given the exploratory design of this study.

Project description:Benzophenone-3 is used in a variety of cosmetic products as a sunscreen, and has shown weak estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity in animal and in vitro studies. Few studies have evaluated whether benzophenone-3 is associated with reproductive outcomes among women. We studied 304 women undergoing infertility treatment (2007-2017) in the prospective Environment and Reproductive Health cohort study and who underwent 449 treatment cycles (n = 788 urines). Generalized linear mixed models were used with random intercepts to account for multiple cycles, and adjusting for confounders including physical activity. Analyses were also stratified by self-reported moderate/heavy outdoor work. The cycle-specific median (IQR) urinary benzophenone-3 concentration was 147 (58, 462) μg/L, and 98% samples had detectable concentrations. Self-reported sunscreen use, physical activity, and time spent on moderate/heavy outdoor work were positively associated with urinary benzophenone-3. Adjusted probabilities of implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth were higher in increasing quartiles of benzophenone-3, but these associations were restricted to women who reported spending time outdoors performing moderate/heavy work. Specifically, among these women, those in the highest quartile of benzophenone-3 concentrations had 51% higher implantation (p,trend = 0.02), 68% higher clinical pregnancy (p,trend = 0.01) and 75% higher live birth (p,trend = 0.02) adjusted probabilities than women in the lowest quartile. Benzophenone-3 was unrelated to these outcomes among women who did not report doing moderate/heavy work outdoors. These results confirm that sunscreen use is a source of benzophenone-3 exposure, and show positive associations between benzophenone-3 and pregnancy outcomes, especially among women who reported engaging in outdoor work. Since these associations may be subject to important residual confounding by lifestyle factors, further research is needed to confirm these novel results in other populations, and to investigate whether other factors may be affecting the relation of benzophenone-3 with fertility and other health outcomes.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Prenatal phthalate exposure has been inconsistently associated with fetal growth and infant birth weight. However, the effect of exposure during the paternal and maternal preconception period remains understudied. OBJECTIVES:To investigate associations of paternal and maternal preconception and maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations with birth weight. METHODS:The study comprised 364 singletons born to 364 mothers and 195 fathers (195 couples) from the EARTH Study, a prospective cohort of couples from Boston, MA. Births were categorized by mode of conception: in-vitro fertilization based (IVF) (n=208) or non-IVF based (n=156, intrauterine insemination or non-medically assisted/natural conception). We measured urinary concentrations of eleven phthalate metabolites in maternal (n=1425) and paternal (n=489) preconception and maternal prenatal (n=781) samples. Birth weight was abstracted from delivery records. Covariate-adjusted associations between loge-phthalate metabolite concentrations and birth weight were evaluated separately by mode of conception using multivariable linear regression. RESULTS:Each loge-unit increase in paternal urinary concentration of the sum of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (?DEHP) metabolites was associated with a 90 gram (95% CI: -165, -15) decrease in birth weight among IVF singletons, but not among non-IVF singletons (18g; 95% CI: -76, 113). Additional adjustment for maternal prenatal ?DEHP concentrations modestly strengthened findings among IVF singletons. While few associations were found with maternal preconception phthalate metabolites, we observed an inverse relationship between several maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and birth weight among IVF singletons in covariate-adjusted models. However, with further adjustment for specific paternal phthalate metabolite concentrations, these associations were attenuated and no longer significant. CONCLUSIONS:Paternal preconception urinary concentration of ?DEHP metabolites was associated with a decrease in birth weight among IVF-conceived singletons. These results, if replicated, highlight the importance of preconception health, especially among subfertile couples.

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Urinary concentrations of benzophenone-type ultraviolet radiation filters and couples' fecundity.

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Urinary concentrations of benzophenone-type ultraviolet radiation filters and couples' fecundity.

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