Sun Sceen Lotions Are Killing World's Coral

Exposure to even very small doses of sunscreen chemicals can cause coral to die within a week.

Sunscreen lotions used by beach-goers around the world are contributing to a phenomenon known as coral bleaching, threatening not only the coral but also the myriad of marine life that depend on it.

A new study sponsored by the European Commission (EC) found that even tiny amounts of cream-based UV filters used to protect the skin from the sun’s rays caused bleaching of coral reefs.

The chemical compounds join climate change, industrial pollution and high UV radiation due to the “ozone hole” as a threat to coral reefs.

An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen are released annually in waters around coral reefs, with 25 percent of the sunscreen ingredients on skin released into water over the course of a 20-minute swim, the report said.

Sunscreens are manufactured from about 20 compounds that act as UV filters and preservatives. Seven were tested for the (EC) study, including parabens, cinnamates, benzophenones and camphor derivatives.

Controlled exposure of these chemicals to reefs in Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand and Egypt revealed the even minute amounts can cause almost immediate death to the coral.

Photo: Christian Wheatley - iStockphoto
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