Chemicals found in sunscreens are emerging as a “major concern” in the marine environment, a new study has found.
Researchers at the University of Plymouth and Plymouth Marine Laboratory say the full impacts of these chemicals on marine life need “urgent investigation”.
The study, published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, was based on a review of more than 110 publications linked to sunscreen, UV filters and their ecotoxicological or environmental impact.
It has highlighted that at least 25% of sunscreen products wash off during sea bathing.
It also says that a single beach with 1,000 visitors can be subject to more than 35kg of sunscreen deposits per day.
Sunscreens contain chemical compounds that filter out the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV filters are also added to personal care products (e.g. shampoos, moisturisers, lipsticks, shower gels).
The compounds are also found in various other commercial products including plastics, rubber, paint and cement, to enhance light resistance and prevent photodegradation.
“As a result of modern lifestyles, with UV filters vital for human health and extending the lifespan of materials, they are emerging as a major environmental concern due to their widespread use and worldwide distribution,”the researchers state.
“With global sunscreen sales projected to reach $13.64 billion by 2026 and an estimated 6,000-14,000 tonnes of UV filters released annually into coral reef zones alone, researchers emphasise the urgent need for more comprehensive studies on their environmental impact,”they say.
UV compounds can enter the marine environment either directly or indirectly. Direct pathways include swimming or other water-based recreational activities, and indirect pathways include washing towels that have been used to dry sunscreen-coated skin, washing off residue during showering and even in urine.
Traditional sewage and water treatment technologies cannot effectively remove most UV filter compounds, and organic UV filters have been reported in 95% of wastewater effluents and 86% of surface waters globally, the researchers state.
UV filters have also been detected in marine environments worldwide, from busy tourist locations to remote areas, such as Antarctica and the Arctic, highlighting the extent of this contamination.
“Sunscreen pollution has recently been linked with agricultural practices too, whereby recycled water from wastewater treatment plants and sludge biosolids are used as soil fertilisers,”they state.
“ This practice can result in the spread of UV filter contaminants not only onto crops, but also into agricultural run-off and discharge mechanisms that flow into aquatic environments,”they say.
Another source of UV filter contamination in the aquatic environment is through the use of beach showers.
A study found that sands around the beach showers of Hanauma Bay, Hawaii were highly contaminated with sunscreen residues, levels of which directly correlated with high visitation rates, they note.
The full study is here
