Background

The effects of ultraviolet (UV) filters in the aquatic environment have been well studied, but environmental exposures remain unclear and understudied. Consumer usage directly influences the amount of sunscreen products, and subsequently UV filters, potentially released into the environment.

Objective

To conduct a literature review of previous research into sunscreen application thickness, develop a questionnaire protocol designed to semi-quantify sunscreen usage by US consumers, and conduct a large-scale survey to determine a sunscreen application thickness (to face and body) that is more refined than conservative defaults. The United States Food & Drug Administration (US FDA) recommends a sunscreen application rate of 2 mg/cm². This value is typically used as a worst-case assumption in environmental exposure assessments of UV filters.

Methods

Designed a novel approach to estimate lotion sunscreen application thickness using an online questionnaire protocol employing visual references and self-reported height and weight of the respondents. A literature review was also conducted to collect historical sunscreen usage.

Results

Over 9000 people were surveyed in the US, and after the dataset was refined, their sunscreen application thickness was estimated based on calculated body surface area and reported sunscreen amounts. The mean and median values for survey respondents are 3.00 and 1.78 mg/cm², respectively, for facial application thickness and 1.52 and 1.35 mg/cm², respectively, for body application thickness. Earlier research from 1985–2020 reported 36 of the 38 values are below the US FDA’s recommended application thickness of 2 mg/cm² (range 0.2–5 mg/cm²).

Impact statement

This web-based survey is the first of its kind, designed specifically to quantify sunscreen application in a large and diverse set of consumers. This method provides a greater reach to larger populations thus enabling more granular data analysis and understanding. Exposure assessments of sunscreen ingredients typically use conservative parameters. These data can refine those assessments and allow for more informed and science-based risk management decisions.

中文翻译：

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一种新颖的在线调查方法，旨在测量消费者防晒霜的涂抹厚度——对估计环境排放的影响

背景

紫外线 (UV) 过滤器对水生环境的影响已得到充分研究，但环境暴露仍不清楚且研究不足。消费者的使用直接影响防晒产品的数量，以及随后可能释放到环境中的紫外线过滤剂的数量。

客观的

对先前有关防晒霜涂抹厚度的研究进行文献回顾，制定一份旨在半量化美国消费者防晒霜使用情况的问卷调查方案，并进行大规模调查以确定防晒霜涂抹厚度（面部和身体）更适合比保守的默认值更精细。美国食品药品监督管理局（US FDA）建议防晒霜的涂抹量为2 mg/cm ²。该值通常用作紫外线过滤器环境暴露评估中的最坏情况假设。

方法

设计了一种新颖的方法来估计乳液防晒霜的涂抹厚度，使用在线问卷协议，采用视觉参考和受访者自我报告的身高和体重。还进行了文献综述以收集防晒霜的历史使用情况。

结果

美国对超过 9000 人进行了调查，数据集经过完善后，根据计算的体表面积和报告的防晒霜用量估算出他们的防晒霜涂抹厚度。调查受访者面部涂抹厚度的平均值和中位值分别为 3.00 和 1.78 mg/cm ²，身体涂抹厚度分别为1.52 和 1.35 mg/cm ^{2 。}1985 年至 2020 年的早期研究报告称，38 个值中有 36 个低于美国 FDA 推荐的应用厚度 2 mg/cm ²（范围 0.2–5 mg/cm ²）。

影响报告

这项基于网络的调查尚属首次，专门用于量化大量不同消费者的防晒霜使用情况。该方法可以更广泛地覆盖更多人群，从而实现更精细的数据分析和理解。防晒霜成分的暴露评估通常使用保守参数。这些数据可以完善这些评估，并允许做出更明智、基于科学的风险管理决策。