That one is good, the other is death. Sunscreen protects us from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, which can cause premature aging and skin cancer. But scientists warn that the same cosmetics can threaten the life of marine organisms.
A new study conducted by scientists from the universities of the Balearic Islands and Rio San Pedro in Spain, showed that some substances in the composition of sunscreen are washed away from the skin and enter the sea, where they become toxic to phytoplankton. Tanning products contain nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which, when reacting with ultraviolet radiation from the sun, form new compounds, such as hydrogen peroxide, the Daily Mail newspaper writes.
The high content of hydrogen peroxide in seawater can seriously harm microscopic algae, which are the main source of food for almost all inhabitants of the ocean: from shrimp to whales.
The study was conducted on the island of Majorca in the Mediterranean Sea among 10 thousand visitors to the beach of Palmyra. Every year more than 200 million tourists come to the shores of this sea.
The results of laboratory tests of sea water samples, taking into account data on tourism, led scientists to conclude that titanium dioxide from sunscreen seriously increases the level of hydrogen peroxide in coastal waters in the summer, which is dangerous for aquatic life and fauna.
The study was published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Another study found that sunscreen cannot completely protect against skin cancer. Scientists at the University of Manchester and the Cancer Research Institute in London have found that even a cream with a very high degree of protection (SPF 50) transmits ultraviolet radiation in an amount sufficient to damage DNA in the pigment cells of the skin. Therefore, with a long stay in the open sun, you must cover your body and not rely only on protective cosmetics.
Plastic waste is no less dangerous for the ocean. They threaten the health of not only marine life, but also a person who consumes contaminated seafood.
The article is based on materials .
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