Ultimately, organic ingredients are not necessarily safe. Neem, eucalyptus, and lavender oils are used as insect repellents or insecticides, suggesting they may also be toxic to invertebrates. Chrysanthemum oil contains Pyrethrins, which are highly toxic to marine species. Plant-based oils can be toxic to reef organisms as well. Methoxycinnamate and camphor are on the International Chemical Secretariat’s SIN (Substitute it Now) list due to their activity as endocrine disruptors to humans and wildlife. Sunscreen Overall: Aside from the primary, active ingredients, many other chemicals in sunscreen are potentially toxic to aquatic ecosystems. Their small size, interaction with cells, and the fact that they cause oxidative stress in sunlight (coral bleaching) damages hard corals and their symbiotic algae.
A recently published study found that non-coated zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (less than 35 nanometers in diameter), in other words, so-called reef-safe sunscreen, can be toxic to corals, fish, and other reef organisms. The most common ingredients in physical sunscreens are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
List of reef safe sunscreen skin#
Physical sunscreens block or reflect both UVA and UVB rays but leave a whitish tinge on people’s skin and are often oily and difficult to rub in. Physical (mineral or inorganic) : The second type, often marketed as ‘environmentally-friendly’ and ‘reef safe’, is still less popular than chemical sunscreens. Most alarmingly, we determined that oxybenzone also acts as an endocrine disruptor.”
We also showed that oxybenzone is genotoxic, meaning that it damages coral DNA as well as induces severe and lethal deformities. According to a 2015 study, “we found that oxybenzone induces coral bleaching by lowering the temperature at which corals will bleach when exposed to prolonged heat stress. Studies that followed further demonstrated chemical sunscreen’s harmful impact on coral reefs and marine organisms. Researchers found that the chemicals can activate latent viral infections in the symbiotic microalgae that the corals rely on for nutrition. Their most common active ingredients – oxybenzone, butylparaben, and octinoxate – were identified as environmentally harmful in a 2008 study.
They absorb and reduce UV rays’ ability to penetrate the skin. They work in different ways, but the active ingredients in both types harm the environment.Ĭhemical (organic) : Chemical sunscreens are the most commonly used sunscreen. There are two kinds of sunscreen available in stores. In towns near bodies of water without sophisticated sewage treatment and water management systems, sunscreen pollution is inevitable. Thus, they enter sewers or septic tanks when people flush the toilet or wash off sunscreen in the shower. Some chemicals in the lotion can be absorbed through the skin and detected in urine within 30 minutes of application.
Why is Sunscreen Bad for the Environment?ĭuring recreational activities and water sports in natural waters, sunscreen washes off people’s skin to disperse in the surrounding environment. However, recent research shows that these options are no safer for the environment. Sunscreen manufacturers responded to this discovery by creating ‘reef safe’ sunscreens, using alternative UV filters like zinc oxide. In 2008, evidence was found that common ingredients in sunscreen can bleach coral reefs. This begs the question, are reef-safe sunscreen possible? And how can consumers look for the best environment-safe sunscreen? However, researchers recently concluded that chemicals found in all commercially available sunscreens, even reef-safe sunscreen, pose serious threats to the environment, particularly coral reefs, and marine organisms. Humans need sunscreen to protect their skin from ultraviolet rays and prevent skin cancer. Earth.Org is powered by over 150 contributing writers
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