Measurement of urinary concentrations of ultraviolet filters in bio-banked urine

Ultraviolet (UV) filters are a class of high production chemicals used in numerous personal care products including sunscreen and cosmetics to absorb and filter UV radiation. They are also used in numerous products such as plastics to minimize deterioration or discoloration due to UV radiation. These chemicals are potential endocrine disrupters and some have demonstrated reproductive and developmental toxicity in experimental studies. Biomonitoring data in humans have largely focused on benzophenone-3 (BP-3), the chemical most commonly added to sunscreen, and data are notably limited for children and adolescents. Little is known about potential reproductive toxicity. Understanding levels of these chemicals in children just before and during puberty may be important as they may be more sensitive to the impacts of endocrine disruption. This project will generate biomonitoring data for a suite of 8 UV filters in children. We will leverage the available urine biospecimens from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals biobank to conduct this research and generate novel biomonitoring data on UV filters in preadolescents and adolescents.

This will address notable gaps in available biomonitoring data, we will generate data for Health Canada risk assessors, and for publication in the scientific literature. UV filters have been identified as a chemical class of interest and several of our target analytes, have been specifically identified as emerging risk assessment candidates.

Constraints on the work include the constraints associated with approval to access biobanked urine specimens from the MIREC ENDO Study. The MIREC Biobank management committee approves the release of biospecimens for analysis by external laboratories. Key considerations for that approval are (1) scientific validity; (2) location/expertise of laboratory (experience receiving and tracking samples); (3) sample volume required. Additional constraints are the phased approach to analysis, where the first phase of the analysis will be analysis of urine from MIREC ENDO Phase 1. Depending on frequency of detection, and overall quality of the results delivered, then the second phase will be approved to measure the UV-filters in biospecimens from Phase 2 of MIREC ENDO. Finally, depending on the needs of risk assessors and the availability of biospecimens from other biobanks, additional analyses may be undertaken.

The contractor must be ISO accredited and participate in proficiency/quality regimes, such as the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA) proficiency testing or international accreditation programs.

NOTE - SAMPLES CAN'T BE TRANSPORTED OUTSIDE OF CANADA