Other harmful chemicals include methoxycinnamate, which absorbs and traps harmful UVB rays, and camphors, which kill fungus. If oxybenzone were the only problem, it would be easier to remove from sunscreen products. Oxybenzone comes back into this full circle regarding algae.Įven without that sheen on top of the water, oxybenzone can still damage algae, as well as sea urchins and other marine life. It’s more than just a coral reef problem, it’s about to be a human problem as well. Studies and research show that there’s a higher concentration of oxybenzone above coral reefs that are close to the shore, which are the reefs that we rely on the most to bring marine life closer to land for us to catch and consume. One of the most harmful ingredients in non-biodegradable sunscreens is oxybenzone, which is precisely what alters that DNA. The more the DNA is altered, the longer it will take for these reefs to fully form. ![]() If a coral reef used to take five-thousand years to form, now it’s going to take six. However, non-biodegradable sunscreens are messing with the DNA that dictates appropriate times to solidify, so polyps are hardening far before they are supposed to. At a certain point, you have polyps of calcium carbonate, which slowly expands over time.Įventually, certain polyps will solidify, essentially encasing themselves in a stone exoskeleton.Īt this point, other polyps can grow on it, turning the original polyp into a foundation or base for coral reefs. You can clean up plastic from the forest, incorporate compostable items, and do your best to rejuvenate the area in a calendar year-coral reefs take thousands of years to form, with some dating back to 240 million years ago.Īltering the DNA and production of coral, and it’s not for the better. Damage to coral reefs aren’t something simple that can be reversed. ![]() Our coral reefs are in constant danger, but the effects of sunscreen in the water are contributing more than you might think.Ĭoral reefs are made up of calcium carbonate, which is a rough, concrete-like substance that takes a while to grow. How Sunscreen Pollution Destroys Coral Reefsĭead zones, algae growth, and ecosystem thrown out of balance-it doesn’t stop there. Sunlight is roughly 95% of the equation, and if sunlight isn’t penetrating the water, algae isn’t going to grow. Non-biodegradable sunscreen contains varying chemicals that can de-oxygenate the water, adding to the growing dead zone problem that we’re facing around the world.Ī dead zone is when marine life can’t survive above a certain level in the water, because they’re either not getting enough, or not getting any oxygen at all.Įven creatures that exist beneath the dead zones have difficulties, because sunlight is required for the production of algae, which is a staple in the diet of many fish.Īlgae requires very little other than sunlight: a few nutrients, carbon dioxide (which is given off by fish that can breath in non-damaged parts of the ocean), and that’s about it. So it’s blocking light, but that’s not all. On average, sea creatures that depend on light live somewhere above the 656 ft mark in the ocean, but light can travel even deeper than that, down to 3,280 feet, which is more than half a mile into the water. It’s harder for sunlight to penetrate the water. Not only does it give the water a polluted feeling on your skin, but it actually has detrimental consequences on marine life. ![]() You have thousands of people wearing sunscreen every single day, and washing it off in the water. Sunscreen can leave a sheen on top of the water in destination beach spots after tourists have left for the season. Those elements aren’t being absorbed into your skin, and they’re not dissipating in the water, either. The grease is sitting on top of your skin, meaning it will get washed away just like anything else. ![]() That’s where the first problem with non-biodegradable sunscreen lies. Those tend to have more absorptive properties that sink right into your skin and offer you protection, but there are likely still chemicals that sit on top of your skin, giving a slick or lotiony feeling. If you’ve ever looked up sunscreen online, one of the key phrases that they use to sell them to you is “Non-greasy feeling.” Others leave a greasy feeling on your skin, and wash off in the water. Sunscreen is designed to stay on your skin, but some of the ingredients are actually just carriers that help you apply the main ingredients to your skin.Ĭertain common ingredients, like oxybenzone, are absorbed into your skin within a few minutes and protect you.
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