Continuing from the last post on microbeads, I will be discussing how another common skincare product can cause environmental pollution. Today’s focus is sunscreen! Sunscreen is an essential step of everyone’s skincare routine and helps to protect us from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. With increased awareness on the dangers of sun exposure and its carcinogenic effects, people are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of using sunscreen (Al Robaee, 2010). With the recent skincare trend, people are increasingly using sunscreen, even if it is for cosmetic purposes like preventing photo ageing. So how does this essential product affect the environment?
Sunscreens have resulted in marine pollution. When we swim or shower with sunscreen on our skin, it will inevitably enter our waterways. I found this useful infographic in understanding how sunscreen affects marine life from the NOAA.
The above infographic shows how sunscreen can enter the environment, the different effects it can have on different marine life, as well as steps we can take to minimise marine pollution from sunscreen. While all the stated impacts are terrible and should be avoided at all cost, perhaps the worst impact of sunscreen is its effect on coral reefs. Corals are some of the most diverse and essential ecosystems in the world. They provide billions of dollars in economic and environmental services, such as food, coastal protection, and tourism (NOAA, n.d.). Hence, the destruction of coral reefs has rippling effects that will affect not only marine life, but all life on earth.
On top of the common chemicals in sunscreen that can have adverse impacts on marine life, other types of chemicals in sunscreens can have similar effects. The sheer quantity of damaging chemicals means that it is incredibly difficult to eliminate this source of marine pollution. For example, a study from 2014 found that another chemical benzophenone-2 can lead to faster coral death (Downs et al., 2014). From LoFaso (2020),
“Sunscreens that humans use are in the category of ‘local stresses of nearly global extent,’ so are in a similar category as overfishing and nutrient pollution,” said Dr. Pamela Hallock, a professor of Marine Science at the University of South Florida.
The above quote provides an idea of the scale of sunscreen as a marine pollutant. It is a significant stressor affecting coral reefs and other marine life. As suggested by the infographic above, there are some steps we can take to minimise this source of marine pollution. For one, rather than chemical sunscreens, consider using mineral or physical sunscreens instead. Notably mineral sunscreens made from zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and without nanoparticles.
Al Robaee A. A. (2010). Awareness to sun exposure and use of sunscreen by the general population. Bosnian journal of basic medical sciences, 10(4), 314–318. https://doi.org/10.17305/bjbms.2010.2678.
Downs, C.A., Kramarsky-Winter, E., Fauth, J.E., Segal, R., Bronstein, O., Jeger, R., Lichtenfeld, Y., Woodley, C. M., Pennington, P., Kushmaro, A & Loya, Y. (2014). ‘Toxicological effects of the sunscreen UV filter, benzophenone-2, on planulae and in vitro cells of the coral, Stylophora pistillata’. Ecotoxicology, 23, 175–191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-013-1161-y.
LoFaso, A. (2020). Sunscreen pollution accelerating demise of coral reefs, experts say. ABC News. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/International/sunscreen-pollution-accelerating-demise-coral-reefs-experts/story?id=68807099.
NOAA. (n.d.). Skincare Chemicals and Coral Reefs. NOAA. Retrieved from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html.