[Pharmwaste] Synthetic fragrances perfume lake sediments

[Tenace, Laurie]

http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2006/jul/science/jp_fragrance
s.html 

Synthetic fragrances perfume lake sediments
Production of these persistent compounds has doubled since the 1990s, and
scientists are concerned about sublethal effects.

The scent of perfume behind the ears has timeless allure, but perfume raises
scientific eyebrows when it persists in the environment. Research published
today on ES&T's Research ASAP website (DOI: 10.1021/es060134y) documents, for
the first time, a historical profile of synthetic-fragrance concentrations in
lake sediment. The results show a dramatic rise in environmental exposure
over the past 15 years-a potential concern if these persistent contaminants
turn out to have biological effects, experts say.

Synthetic musk fragrances, far cheaper than and chemically dissimilar to the
natural fragrance obtained from musk deer and musk ox, are found in common
household detergents, soaps, shampoos, and cosmetics, says Keri Hornbuckle,
an environmental engineer at the University of Iowa and a coauthor of the
study. They have also been detected in human fat and breast milk.

U.S. manufacturers used 6500 t of synthetic musks in 2000, the last year for
which data are available. The U.S. EPA lists HHCB (Galaxolide), the most
common fragrance compound, as a high-production-volume chemical->1 million
lb/year are imported or produced. In addition, synthetic fragrances persist
in the environment, accumulate in animals, and have an affinity for fat-all
traits of persistent organic pollutants. These properties, combined with the
sheer volume used, worry researchers, who have begun to track the
environmental fate and biological impacts of synthetic fragrances, Hornbuckle
says.

Hornbuckle and her colleagues dated two sediment cores from Lake Erie and
Lake Ontario and analyzed the concentrations of five polycyclic and two nitro
musk fragrances. They found that HHCB concentrations actually declined
slightly from 1979 to 1990; however, from 1990 to 2003, levels of HHCB
doubled in only 8 years. The dry weight concentrations of fragrances in
sediment are in the parts-per-million range.

The concentration of HHCB over time mirrored the trends in U.S. consumption
of all fragrances, including synthetic musks, terpenes, and other compounds,
levels of which have also risen significantly in the past decade, Hornbuckle
says. Industry would not provide the researchers with consumption data for
individual fragrances.

"This research indicates that production is increasing over time, and that is
reflected in the concentrations of these musks that are accumulating in
sediment," says Chris Metcalfe, an ecotoxicologist at Trent University
(Canada).

Research on Lake Michigan shows that sewers serve as the primary conduit for
fragrances, which wash down the drain after being applied to skin, hair, and
clothing, Hornbuckle says. She has also detected fragrances in rural air at
levels higher than those of the most commonly used pesticides.

"Thus far, the European Chemicals Bureau has concluded that HHCB and AHTN
[Tonalide, a polycyclic musk] are not PBTs [persistent, bioaccumulative, and
toxic substances], and the European Scientific Committee for Cosmetics and
Non-Food Products has affirmed their continued safe use in consumer
products," says Dan Salvito, an environmental scientist at the Research
Institute for Fragrance Materials, an industry association.

However, Europe has phased out nitro musks over concerns that they are
carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting, says Roland Kallenborn, an
environmental chemist at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS; Norway).
Recent studies are indicating that polycyclic musks may have sublethal
effects in fish; they bind to estrogen receptors and act as an antagonist to
vitellogenin, an egg yolk precursor protein, Metcalfe says. -JANET PELLEY

Laurie J. Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400
PH: (850) 245-8759
FAX: (850) 245-8811
Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us  
 
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