RT Journal Article
T1 Assessment of UV filter ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate photoisomerization in aquatic environments, cosmetics and in vitro skin by (micro)extraction GC–MS analysis
A1 Zulfiqar, Hira
A1 Llompart Vizoso, María del Pilar
A1 Castiñeira Landeira, Ana
A1 Duque Villaverde, Andrés
A1 Fabbri, Daniele
K1 Personal care products
K1 Water analysis
K1 EHMC isomerization
K1 UV filters
K1 GC–MS
K1 SPME
K1 Photoisomerization
AB This work examines the photoinduced isomerization of the UV filter ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC) in different real samples, including environmental waters, cosmetic products, and human skin. Water samples (river, sea, and swimming pool water) spiked at environmentally relevant concentrations were irradiated with UV light and analyzed by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by GC–MS. Natural waters showed minimal total degradation of EHMC, reaching an (E/Z, trans/cis)-photostationary state with slight predominance of the Z isomer. In contrast, swimming pool water exhibited rapid EHMC loss, likely due to disinfectants, reducing concentration below 20% within 10 min.Cosmetic products (sunscreen cream, lip balm, and hair oil) were irradiated under the same UV conditions after application onto glass slides, and EHMC was extracted using vortex and ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) followed by GC–MS. All samples exhibited formation of Z-EHMC, representing 30–50% of total EHMC at photostationary equilibrium, with minimal total degradation. Similar behavior was observed under natural sunlight, confirming that cosmetic products undergo photoinduced transformation under real conditions. To simulate human exposure, cosmetic products were applied to in vitro human skin and irradiated, again resulting in rapid formation of Z-EHMC. This isomer is known to be less effective as a sun protector and potentially more toxic.These findings demonstrate that EHMC consistently converts into its Z isomer across environmental waters, cosmetic products, and human skin, highlighting potential implications for sunscreen efficacy as well as environmental and human health risks. Additionally, the applied extraction and analytical methods proved to be suitable for monitoring EHMC in complex matrices.
PB Elsevier
YR 2026
FD 2026-02-03
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/46646
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/46646
LA eng
NO Zulfiqar, H., Llompart, M., Castiñeira-Landeira, A., Duque-Villaverde, A., & Fabbri, D. (2026). Assessment of UV filter ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate photoisomerization in aquatic environments, cosmetics and in vitro skin by (micro)extraction GC–MS analysis. Microchemical Journal, 222, 117149. 10.1016/j.microc.2026.117149
NO This research is supported by project ED431B 2023/04 (Xunta de Galicia). This study is based upon work from the Sample Preparation Study Group and Network, supported by the Division of Analytical Chemistry of the European Chemical Society. The authors are affiliated with the National Network for Sustainable Sample Preparation, RED2022–134079-T (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Spain). H.Z. acknowledges Marco Polo fellowship (Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna) for her grant. A.C.L and A.D. acknowledge Xunta de Galicia for their predoctoral contract (ED481A 2022/216, and ED481A-2025–005, respectively).
DS Minerva
RD 23 abr 2026