Sunscreen and Coral Reefs
It can be overwhelming when reading about the demise of coral reefs. Many predict that in 30 to 50 years, most of the world’s coral reefs will be gone.
There are many ways that you can get involved in the effort to save our coral reefs-support various organizations (Coral Reef Alliance is one of them), reduce/replace plastic, and….change your sunscreen. How in the world is sunscreen connected to coral reef damage? It was something I wasn’t aware of and I want to share this with you.
It turns out that a lot of sunscreen have a chemical called oxybenzone or BP-3. This chemical and a list of others are found in over 3,500 skin care products. The other harmful chemicals are Benzophenone-1, Benzophenone-8, OD-PABA, 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor, 3-Benzylidene camphor, nano-Titanium dioxide, nano-Zinc oxid.
When we swim or shower, we wash off our sunscreen which then enters the water. You would think that there wouldn’t be much BP-3 would be in the water to have any harmful effects on corals but research is showing that this is becoming a major problem. The National Ocean Service has a great summary of what these chemicals do to harm the entire life cycle of the coral.
Green Algae: Can impair growth and photosynthesis.
Coral: Accumulates in tissues. Can induce bleaching, damage DNA, deform young, and even kill.
Mussels: Can induce defects in young.
Sea Urchins: Can damage immune and reproductive systems, and deform young.
Fish: Can decrease fertility and reproduction, and cause female characteristics in male fish.
Dolphins: Can accumulate in tissue and be transferred to young.
As you can see from the summary, sunscreen chemicals harm other sea life along with corals.
Tourism has a big impact by their sheer numbers. As ABC News reported, “In many cases, local infrastructure is strained, waste treatment is mismanaged and as a result, natural habitats are destroyed. In tropical areas such as Kahalu'u Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii, the nearly 400,000 visitors and beachgoers per year has resulted in a steady stream of chemical pollutants commonly found in sunscreens and lotions being introduced to local waters.” We don’t think about it, but those chemicals, along with other pollutants are being dumped into our oceans without much thought of its impact on our ocean environment.
In fact, this is becoming such a problem that some states are starting to ban the chemical-based sunscreen. “But over the last few years, a movement has emerged to ban such sunscreen ingredients based on evidence that they are toxic to coral reefs. And it's making significant progress politically: In February, Key West, Florida, banned the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate in an effort to protect coral reefs from bleaching and death. Similar bans were set in the state of Hawaii and the Republic of Palau last year.”
What to do? Your doctor and your skin insist on protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. I mean, who wants cancer? Fortunately, you don’t have to make a choice between sunscreen and ocean life. There are two broad types of sunscreens-a physical, mineral-based sunscreen and the chemical sunscreen we have been talking about. The mineral based sunscreen deflects sun rays and contains zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.
The basic difference is how they work. The mineral sunscreen deflects the sun rays, while the chemical sunscreen absorbs the rays and through a chemical reaction scatters the rays away from the body. The mineral based sunscreen doesn’t have the harmful effects on the ocean life as its chemical counterpart does and you are not absorbing any of the potentially harmful chemicals into your body.
So read the labels! What you do does matter, especially such a small thing as switching sunscreens and sharing this information with others. Jane Goodall summarizes what our philosophy should be “Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and make a difference. Each one of us must take responsibility for our own lives, and above all, show respect and love for living things around us, especially each other.”
