Toxic Effect Of Oxybenzone On Coral Reefs & Fish
Sunscreen… On my skin, in the water? What’s the big deal? Many of my favourite pass times are going to the beach, hiking, and camping. These activities all have something in common. The outdoors and the sun. Although I love being outside in the sun, exposure to UVA and UVB rays from the sun can present undesired effects, such as sunburns, aging spots, wrinkles, and worst of all skin cancer (WedMD, 2017).
To prevent these effects, I lather my skin with sunscreen, so I can do the things I love, without worrying about the sun’s dangerous effects. But, I have never really considered what is in the sunscreen that I put on my skin. Oxybenzone is one of many ingredients found in my sunscreen and it is an ingredient in 56% of sunscreens on the market (Dellorto, 2012). This ingredient is a pale-yellow crystalline powder used as a UVB and short-wave UVA filter (PubChem, 2018). To me, that sounds like great news it’s going to protect my skin from UV rays. Not only that, the product’s packaging says that it is ‘dermatologist recommended’ and has earned the seal of approval from the Canadian Dermatology Association.
Does this mean that there are no associated risks with using a sunscreen containing oxybenzone? Not exactly! Let’s consider the possible effects of oxybenzone. The most common route of entry is skin exposure, which may result in irritation or photoallergic contact dermatitis (an allergic reaction when exposed to the sun) (Making Cosmetics, 2018). Eye contact may occur from sweating or misapplication, causing irritation (Making Cosmetics, 2018). Inhalation is most likely to occur when using spray sunscreens, which once again may irritate that part of the body, the respiratory tract and mucous membranes (Making Cosmetics, 2018).
Lastly, ingestion, likely occurring from contact with hands when eating, may irritate the gastrointestinal tract (Making Cosmetics, 2018). Even the sunscreen label warns against these exposure irritants, but that’s not all. The most concerning health consequences from oxybenzone are its mutagenic effect on genetic materials, bacteria, and yeast, and its potential for adverse reproductive effects (Making Cosmetics, 2018). That being said, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017), laboratory animals have experienced demonstrated weak hormonal activity resulting from oxybenzone and further research is necessary to fully understand the ingredient’s health effects to humans. These potential health effects along with environmental effects are not even mentioned on the label.
Oxybenzone is classified as being toxic to aquatic life and can cause long-lasting effects (Making Cosmetics, 2018). This ingredient is often introduced to aquatic environments by swimmers and wastewater (Downs, 2016). Oxybenzone has had a toxic effect on both coral reefs and fish (DiNardo & Downs, 2017). A study conducted in 2015 on the effects of oxybenzone on coral reefs concluded that oxybenzone affected coral reefs by causing damage to their DNA, increasing bleaching, and disrupting endocrines (Downs et al., 2015). Hawaii, a popular tourist destination has become concerned with the effects of oxybenzone to coral reefs (Bever, 2018). As a result, a bill has been introduced to ban the sale of oxybenzone containing sunscreens statewide in 2021 to protect the health of coral reefs (Bever, 2018).
There are steps that we can be taken to prevent oxybenzone from reaching water. I have found some alternatives to oxybenzone containing sunscreens to protect myself from the sun. Mineral sunscreens, which I think is the best alternative, use naturally derived ingredients that are gentler on the skin and are better for the environment (Rubino, 2015). Other options are to avoid sunscreen all together are by wearing hats and covering exposed skin with clothing. Although there are potential health effects from using a sunscreen containing oxybenzone, I think the environmental effects are alerting and as I result I plan to switch to mineral sunscreens in the future.
