Personal care products and biomarkers of detoxification and oxidative stress in bivalves: A systematic review of laboratory studies

The presence and potential adverse effects of emerging contaminants, such as UV filters and synthetic musk fragrances, in aquatic ecosystems has generated increasing concern. However, information about the sublethal effects and ecological risks of these substances to non-target organisms remains scarce. A systematic review of oxidative biomarkers was performed to better understand the mechanisms of these contaminants in bivalves. Bivalves were chosen as the focus of this study because they can provide integrated information related to contamination by ecotoxicologically relevant substances over time. Bibliographic database searches resulted in 10 articles published from 2019 to 2023. The biomarkers superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase showed promising responses (increase or decrease) in the presence of UV filters (oxybenzone, enzacamene, and octocrylene) and fragrances (galaxolide and tonalide). Glutathione S-transferase showed the most significant increase in response to these compounds, making it the most promising biomarker. Our results indicate a limited number of studies on the toxicity of personal care products, highlighting the need for further research in this area.