Queensland children show high levels of sunscreen chemical homosalate

A study published in ACS Publications by German researchers has found high levels of homosalate, a potentially hormone-disrupting chemical used in sunscreens, in children in Queensland, Australia.

Analysis of approximately 18,700 samples collected between 2012 and 2023 revealed that 53 per cent of the children studied exceeded levels designated by the German Human Biomonitoring Commission as requiring intervention, while 80 per cent exceeded levels indicating a risk of adverse effects.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) previously recommended that manufacturers reformulate products to include safeguards for homosalate and oxybenzone. While these chemicals can act as endocrine disruptors, the TGA noted that current scientific data is not yet “adequate to derive a conclusion as to their causality in humans”.

Researchers are calling for stricter regulations in Australia to align with the European Union, where homosalate is restricted to 7.3 per cent in sunscreens, compared to a 15 per cent limit in Australia, the US, and Canada.