[Pharmwaste] Perfume, perfume everywhere

[DeBiasi,Deborah]

http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/apr/science/bb_musk.html

Science News -April 18, 2007

Perfume, perfume everywhere

Levels of synthetic musk compounds in breast milk from U.S. mothers are higher than those reported in previous European studies.

Synthetic musk fragrances are added to countless consumer items-lotion, shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, detergent, fabric softener, air freshener, household cleanser, even some "unscented" products-to enhance their appeal. A decade ago, musks were found in human breast milk in Europe, raising a red flag. Now, research published today on ES&T's Research ASAP website (DOI: 10.1021/es063088a) shows even higher levels of polycyclic musks in breast milk from U.S. mothers.

Synthetic musks are present in any consumer product that smells good, notes corresponding author Kurunthachalam Kannan, a toxicologist at the State of New York Department of Health. Because of toxicity concerns, the use of nitro musks, such as musk xylene (1-tert-butyl-3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene) and musk ketone (4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethyl-3,5-dinitroacetophenone) declined in the last two decades. Their replacements, the polycyclic musks-most commonly HHCB (1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[]-2-benzopyran) and AHTN (7-acetyl-1,1,3,4,4,6-hexamethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene)-became widespread in beauty, household, and other products.

 
USDA

It's clear that nursing transfers fragrance chemicals from mother to baby, but no one is sure what the effects are.The toxicology of polycyclic musks is not well established, says Kannan. Although effects such as endocrine disruption are seen only at high doses in animals, one report suggests that the chemicals may enhance toxicity of other compounds (Environ. Health Perspect. 2005, 113, 17-24).

Musk levels varied widely in the new ES&T study. On a daily basis, infants were estimated to ingest 297 ± 229 nanograms (ng) musk xylene, 780 ± 805 ng musk ketone, 1830 ± 1170 ng HHCB, 656 ± 614 ng AHTN, and 649 ± 598 ng HHCB-lactone-an HHCB oxidation product found in the milk samples-for which no toxicity data exist, says Kannan. HHCB-lactone is present in consumer products, and it is formed during the manufacture of HHCB or by oxidation within the consumer product, according to first author Jessica Reiner, a Ph.D. candidate at the State University of New York at Albany.

Staci Simonich, an environmental chemist at Oregon State University, says it's not surprising that these musks are present in U.S. breast milk. She suspects that the wide variation in concentrations in the milk samples is due to lack of a maternal "clean catch"-possible contamination of milk samples by musks transferred directly from the mothers' hands or nipples-combined with different patterns of product usage and maternal uptake. "Even if their hands were washed, it could be with soap that contains fragrances," she says.

The data confirm that musk fragrances can be metabolized and that, ultimately, people can control their exposure. That is good news, says Simonich.

Martin Scheringer of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich has studied fragrance usage with scenario-based risk assessment, a method designed to analyze consumer habits and their influence on exposure (J. Ind. Ecol. 2005, 9, 237-258). According to Scheringer, "it is consumer habits and dermal exposure that determine consumer exposure to musk fragrances, at least for adults." Scheringer did not analyze infants as a separate group but notes that they experience high exposure to numerous chemicals in consumer products. "Identification of the most important exposure pathways and subsequent reduction of infants' exposure to chemicals in consumer products should be a priority objective," he says.

Recently, Aaron Peck of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and Keri Hornbuckle of the University of Iowa described the environmental persistence of these fragrances (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2006, 40, 5588; 5629-5635). Peck, who chooses to limit these compounds in his own household, says, "Clearly, babies and infants are exposed to significant quantities of these chemicals. There is a need for studies of the effects of these compounds on small children."

"We are rather late in examining the fate and effects of synthetic musk fragrances, despite our society's heavy use," says Hornbuckle. "I find it alarming that breast milk is contaminated with so many synthetic organic compounds. Our understanding of the effects of this exposure is limited. I hope that we don't have the regrets for fragrances that we now have for PCBs," she adds.

You can reduce your body burden by decreasing use or choosing fragrance-free products. But read the label. "If it says fragrance-free, it should be fragrance-free. If it says unscented, there may be perfumes in there to mask the malodor of the ingredients," Simonich says. -BARBARA BOOTH

Deborah L. DeBiasi
Email:   dldebiasi at deq.virginia.gov
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