# Mytilus galloprovincialis as a Biomarker for Personal Care Product (PCP) Ingredients and UV Filters (UVFs) in Tunisian Coastal Waters: Correlation with the Chemical Composition of Polluted Seawater

## TL;DR

This study uses mussels to detect personal care product ingredients and UV filters in Tunisian coastal waters, finding high levels that pose risks to marine life.

## Contribution

Demonstrates the use of mussels as effective biomarkers for tracking PCP and UVF pollution in seawater.

## Key findings

- 13 out of 18 PCP ingredients and UVFs were detected in mussels from three coastal sites in Tunisia.
- Avobenzone and TBHPBT were most prevalent, with highest concentrations in Sousse.
- High estimated daily intake values suggest environmental and health risks from these pollutants.

## Abstract

Today, the abundance of personal care product (PCP) ingredients and UV filters (UVFs) in coastal marine environments is a growing concern worldwide. In addition, mussels are the most commonly used sentinel organisms in bio-monitoring programs. In the current study, we collected mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) (over 6 months) from three seawater sites in Tunisia (Monastir, Sousse, and Mahdia). Analysis of the samples by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed the presence of 13 compounds among the 18 PCP ingredients and UVFs investigated. Avobenzone (AVO) and tert-butyl hydroxyphenyl benzotriazole (TBHPBT) were the most frequently observed, ranging from 121.076 ± 1.6 to 193.481 ± 5.5 ng g−1 and 20.987 ± 0.7 to 26.704 ± 1.7 ng g−1, respectively, with maximum values in the city of Sousse. 4-Hydroxybenzophenone (4HB) and benzophenone-1 (BP1) were also found in all mussel samples with levels in the range of 26.745 ± 0.4 ng g−1 and 12.53 ± 0.5 ng g−1, respectively. We observed a positive correlation with the chemical characterization of the contaminated seawater. The environmental hazards of PCP ingredients were estimated with the aim of performing a preliminary risk assessment at the environmental level. For this purpose, the estimated daily intake (EDI) of a substance was calculated. The results obtained revealed a high value of up to 68.36 ng kg body-weight−1 day−1. The high concentration observed in the samples reported for the target PCP ingredients could be partly attributed to their inefficient removal before being released into the sea. We now know that PCP ingredients and UVFs cause irreparable damage to coastal ecosystems and pose the greatest risk to the aquatic organisms tested.