Environmental Agency: Harmful Substance Found in Urine of Almost All Children - Toxic sunscreen chemical found in 92% of German children's urine tests

A hazardous chemical linked to sunscreen, MnHexP, has been found in the urine of nearly all children and adolescents tested in Germany. In 2025, the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) reported that 92% of samples contained MnHexP, a breakdown product of a banned plasticizer, DnHexP. The discovery follows earlier warnings from 2024, when the substance first appeared in preschoolers' urine. The issue first emerged in 2024, when the State Office for Nature, Environment, and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia detected MnHexP in young children's urine, with around 61% of 250 samples testing positive. By spring and summer 2025, the UBA's broader study revealed a sharp increase, with MnHexP present in 92% of urine samples from children and teens. Researchers described the high concentrations as unexpected. MnHexP forms when the body breaks down DnHexP, a plasticizer not approved for use in the EU. The contamination stems from a UV filter used in some sunscreens. Two participants in the 2025 study had particularly high levels—83 and 107 micrograms per litre—exceeding the UBA's safety threshold of 60 micrograms. The agency also found that combined exposure to reproductive toxins often surpassed tolerable intake limits. Despite the findings, stricter EU restrictions on DnHexP in sunscreens will not come into force until January 2027. The delay leaves consumers exposed to potential risks for at least another year. The UBA's 2025 report confirms widespread exposure to MnHexP among young people in Germany, with 92% of samples affected and some exceeding safety limits. The source—contaminated sunscreen—remains a concern. Tighter regulations are set to arrive in 2027, but until then, MnHexP will continue to appear in urine tests.