Ecological and Human Health Risks Generated by Organic UV Filters

Due to negative effects of the sun radiation, different solutions for human skin protection against radiation were developed. In this context, a large variety of UV filters were produced in the last years and used as ingredients in creams, lotions, lipsticks and other personal care products. The production and use of these products containing UV filters are responsible for environmental contamination, since organic residues are detected in rivers, lakes, rivers sediments, sewage sludge, aquatic organism and human body. Due to some properties such as stability, persistence and lipophilicity, the UV filters can be bioaccumulated in sediments and biota organism, causing negative effects to the aquatic species. The UV filters can also affect the human body: for example 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC) can generate endocrine dysfunctions and affect the DNA structure. The main objective of this paper is to establish the potential ecological and human risks produced by organic UV filters.