|
105
misleading claims or untruths that can be found
on sunscreen labels. In some cases, products state
they are nontoxic for corals and other marine
organisms despite containing oxybenzone and/or
other derivatives of benzene, which are hazardous
to corals.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE SAFE SUNSCREENS
It is simple to determine whether a sunscreen is
harmful to the marine environment: Ignore what
is written on the front, turn over the package, and
read the ingredients. First note the presence of
preservatives, then go through the list of chemical
UV filters. The sunscreen is lethal for the corals and
should be avoided if the product contains parabens
(common preservatives such as butylparaben) or any
of the following chemical filters:
• BMDBM (4-tert-butyl-4-methoxydibenzoylmethane
benzophenone
• BZ (benzophenone-3)
• MBC (4-methylbenzylidene camphor)
• OMC (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate)
• OCT (octyl methoxycinnamate)
• BEMT (bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol
methoxyphenyl triazine)
• any component that includes the term –benzene
CARING FOR OUR SKIN
Now that scientists have identified the dangerous
components in sunscreens, new products that are
completely safe for the environment can be produced.
Some manufacturers have attempted to make more
environmentally friendly sunscreens through the use
of physical filters (such as zinc oxide and titanium
oxide), but studies of these are providing conflicting
results. Some products containing zinc and titanium
oxides have been shown to be harmful to corals, which
in some cases show bleaching even after sort-term
exposures. We are currently trying to understand the
mechanisms underlying these effects.
After the impact of sunscreen on corals was
discovered, a French company developed a sunscreen
called Evoa that was tested and certified to be safe
for corals. More recently, a sunscreen containing a
new generation of ecofriendly filters has come onto
the market, and corals treated with this sunscreen
were apparently healthier than those in the control
tanks. London-based Aethic has patented this novel
composition, called Aethic Sôvée, which is available
for purchase at
Take care of your skin and the environment by using
hats, clothing, wetsuits, rash guards and/or sunscreens
that are actually safe for corals instead of sunscreens
that threaten reef health. According to marine scientist
and conservationist Sylvia Earle, “In the grand scheme
of things, sunscreen may be low on the list of things
that corals need to worry about, but it may be one
critical cut among the thousands that are stressing
reefs and other ocean systems — just one more thing
on top of all the rest that could send an ecosystem
over the edge.” And unlike most other threats to the
world’s corals, this is one that individual divers can do
something about.
AD
Roberto Danovaro is professor of marine biology and
ecology at the Polytechnic University of Marche.
Reference
Danovaro R, Bongiorni L, Corinaldesi C, et al.
Sunscreens cause coral bleaching by promoting viral
infections. Environ Health Perspect. 2008 April; 116(4):
441–447. Available at:
/
pmc/articles/PMC2291018/. Accessed: Dec. 16, 2013.
Sunscreens have been
found to activate viral
infections in corals, leading
to coral bleaching. Divers
should consider ways to
minimize their use of
sunscreen when diving
on coral reefs.
STEPHEN FRINK
STEPHEN FRINK
