New study raises questions over homosalate exposure in Queensland children
Children in Queensland are being exposed to substantially higher levels of several common sunscreen chemicals than adults, according to a major Australian biomonitoring study that has renewed scrutiny of the UV filter homosalate.
The research, published in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology on September 4, analysed 187 pooled urine samples representing approximately 18,700 Australians collected between 2012 and 2023. About 92 per cent of samples came from Queensland, with most originating in the state’s south-east.
The most striking finding involved homosalate, an organic UV filter used in some sunscreens.
For a biomarker associated with one form of homosalate, 80 per cent of pooled urine samples from children exceeded the German Human Biomonitoring Commission’s HBM-I guidance level, while 53 per cent exceeded the higher HBM-II level. Among adult pooled samples, 6 per cent exceeded HBM-I and none exceeded HBM-II.
HBM-I represents a concentration below which adverse health effects are not expected based on current evidence, while HBM-II is a higher intervention threshold used to identify exposures that warrant stronger action to reduce them.
The researchers nevertheless described the results for homosalate as significant, concluding that exposure levels among at least some children warrant closer attention. They also found sunscreen chemical concentrations generally increased over the decade covered by the study, with children showing levels between 2.6 and 24 times higher than the oldest adult reference group depending on the biomarker measured.
Homosalate has already come under scrutiny from Australian regulators.
In July 2025, the Therapeutic Goods Administration completed a safety review of seven active sunscreen ingredients. Five were considered low risk at permitted concentrations, while the regulator recommended tighter controls on homosalate and oxybenzone.
The review found both ingredients can be absorbed through the skin and that margins of safety could be insufficient under some long-term, high-exposure scenarios. The TGA also noted evidence suggesting possible endocrine effects from homosalate and several other UV filters, although it said the available data were not sufficient to establish that they cause endocrine effects in humans.
Proposed restrictions on homosalate have since been subject to Australia’s regulatory consultation process. The TGA’s current public guidance continues to describe reduced permitted concentrations as a proposed precautionary measure rather than evidence that sunscreen products are causing harm.
“The TGA is aware of the recent publication by Ebert et al. 2026, examining the presence of homosalate metabolites in the Queensland population,” a TGA spokesman told The Courier-Mail.
“However, the detection of metabolites in urine or blood does not itself indicate a health risk.
“The significance of these findings must be considered in the context of exposure levels, toxicological data and the potential for adverse health effects.”
The Australian findings nevertheless add another layer to an international debate over homosalate. European regulators have already tightened its use. The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety concluded that homosalate was not safe at concentrations of up to 10 per cent across cosmetic products before later determining it could be used at up to 7.34 per cent in certain face products.
Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dr Nick Yim said the emerging evidence deserved attention without losing sight of sunscreen’s established role in preventing skin cancer.
“While sunscreen plays a vital role in preventing skin cancer, especially in Queensland, with increasing research we now know that some chemicals could cause harm,” Dr Yim told The Courier-Mail.
“We welcome the TGA’s investigation into homosalate and we could well see it reduced in sunscreen in future.”
The researchers believe children’s particularly high exposure is likely connected to Australia’s strong sun-protection culture. Queensland schools have extensive sun-safety practices, while children may also receive greater sunscreen coverage and more frequent applications than adults. Hand-to-mouth contact could provide an additional route of exposure.
There are also important limitations. The study used surplus pathology samples rather than a population survey designed to represent every Australian child, and its Queensland-heavy sample means the findings cannot automatically be applied to the entire country.
For parents, neither the researchers nor Australian health authorities are recommending abandoning sunscreen.
For parents, neither the researchers nor Australian health authorities are recommending abandoning sunscreen.
Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of skin cancer, and ultraviolet radiation remains its major cause. Cancer Council Australia recommends using sun protection whenever the UV Index reaches three or above, including protective clothing, shade, a broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses and SPF50 or higher broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen.
The TGA maintains that the proven benefits of sunscreen continue to outweigh the potential risks
The TGA similarly maintains that the proven benefits of sunscreen continue to outweigh the potential risks identified for individual ingredients.
That leaves the new research pointing not towards less sun protection, but towards a more precise question for regulators and manufacturers: whether Australians, particularly children, can receive the same protection from UV radiation while being exposed to less homosalate.
Read also The Small Daily Rituals That May Help Lower Stress
