Just because something is labeled "biodegradable" doesn't guarantee safety for you or the Earth. "People think of biodegradable as being something that is benign," says Downs, but that's not necessarily the case. After all, if it can decompose - like any other organic matter - it must be pretty "natural," right? When it comes to picking out an environmentally safe sunscreen, "biodegradable" might seem like the crème de la crème. Is Biodegradable Sunscreen the Best Choice? That said, finding a sunscreen that's both good for you and the ocean can feel like finding the sunglasses you dropped in murky water. So if it doesn't come off of you in the water, it will wash off of you in the shower - whether that shower is an outside shower, or in your bathroom." We just submitted a scientific paper for publication that beach showers are big sources of sunscreen pollution. "Anything that goes into the sewer (the etymology of this is seaward), everything you dispose of, goes to the sea. "It should always be taken into account whether you are swimming, or showering," says Downs. So, really, there's no excuse: You need to care what's in your sunscreen for your health as well as that of the planet.Īnother scary part? Choosing healthier sunscreens isn't just important when you're diving into a natural body of water like an ocean, river, lake, or pond. One of the most common toxic ingredients in sunscreen is oxybenzone, a chemical that research shows is a possible endocrine disrupter (meaning it can mess with your body's natural hormones), and is linked to a birth defect called Hirschsprung's disease (children with this condition are born without nerves in the lower colon or rectum, preventing normal digestion). For example, the state of Hawaii has banned the sale of sunscreens containing four different chemicals known to impact the reef habitat.Īnd some sunscreens aren't just bad for coral reefs they can also be harmful to your body. A few popular tourist beach destinations are taking notice, and some are banning certain types of sunscreen. "And so that began our investigation into what they call 'personal care products,' including sunscreens and their impact to the environment," says Downs. Locals would notice that once they left the water would have an "iridescent" sheen on it because of the sunscreen in the water and that they believed sunscreen was the culprit of the reef death. ![]() "It should've been a healthy reef and yet, it was pretty much dead." While he and a few other scientists were chatting, a local told them it was because of the tourists that came in on the cruise ships. ![]() "We were investigating why coral reefs were dying in the park, and one day we couldn't figure out because there were no boats in and no homes in the watershed," says Downs. They're the home to 25 percent of the ocean's fish, they protect coastlines from erosion and storms, and more than half a billion people depend on reefs for food and income.Ĭraig Downs, Ph.D., executive director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, started studying coral reef deaths in the Virgin Islands National Park in 2004. And coral reefs are extremely important to the ocean's ecosystem - they basically have superpowers. ![]() One study even estimated that approximately 14,000 pounds of sunscreen are deposited into the ocean every year, according to The Ocean Foundation. You didn't need a worldwide pandemic to tell you that tourism affects ocean life there have been plenty of studies about how sunscreen harms coral reefs. Even airlines have seen a major uptick in travel, as people make up for a year without it.īut don't forget: While the world was locked up for a year and a half, the ocean thrived without tourism. It's warm outside, and people are finally breaking free from their quarantine walls.
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