Trends of Benzotriazoles\nand Benzothiazoles in Australian\nPooled Urine Samples from 2012 to 2023

Benzotriazoles (BZTs) and benzothiazoles (BTs) are high-production-volume\nchemicals utilized in many different commercial products and industrial\nprocesses, such as metal corrosion inhibitors, vulcanization accelerators,\nplastic-associated UV stabilizers, and pharmaceutical precursors.\nThis study assessed age, gender, and temporal trends of BZTs and BTs\nin deidentified surplus pathology urine samples, pooled and stratified\nby age, gender, and sample collection year from a general Australian\npopulation (168 pools representing 16,800 individuals). Tolyltriazole\n(TTri), 5,6-dimethyl-1H-benzotriazole (DMBZT), 1,3-benzothiazole (BTH),\n2-hydroxybenzothiazole (2-OH-BTH), and 2-aminobenzothiazole (2-amino-BTH)\nwere detected in >50% of the pools. TTri was frequently detected\nin\npooled samples representing ≤45-year-olds (both genders). Concentrations\nof DMBZT, BTH (females), 2-OH-BTH, and 2-amino-BTH (females) increased\nwith age significantly, with adults (>15 years old) showing higher\nlevels than children (≤15 years old). Gender differences in\nDMBZT concentrations (females > males) were observed across all\nsampling\nyears and only in some for TTri (males > females: >45 years\nold),\nBTH (females > males), and 2-amino-BTH (males > females). A\ntemporal\nincrease in BTH, 2-OH-BTH, and 2-amino-BTH levels within the studied\nperiod (2012–2023) has been observed. Our findings suggest\nongoing exposure of the Australian general population to BZTs and\nBTs, highlighting age, gender, and temporal trends of these compounds\nas measured via their urinary concentrations.