Attention to spread copious amounts of sunscreen and then jump into the sea. A chemical found in many sunscreen, benzophenone-3 (BP-3), threatens the survival of coral reefs. So says a new US study, which was published in the trade journal ‘Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology’. The study explains that benzophenone-3 comes into contact with the corals in several ways, including the waste water discharged into the sea and, of course, by the swimmers that are rubbed on the body sunscreen to protect against sunburn and the harmful effects of tanning .
The BP-3 is present in more than 3,500 products for sun protection, says the study, adding that exposure to BP-3 causes severe morphological deformation in certain corals, damaging their DNA and acts as an endocrine disruptor, causing the death of the coral itself.
“You have to seriously reconsider the use of products containing BP-3 in the islands and in areas where the conservation of coral reefs is a key issue, “said Dr. Craig Down, lead author of the study and a member of the environmental laboratory Haereticus of Virginia, in the United States. “In the Caribbean region have lost at least 80% of coral reefs. Whatever effort, however small, directed to reduce contamination by BP-3 could mean a lot for the survival of coral reefs during a hot summer or for the recovery of a damaged area, “he added.
Recently, the US agency that deals with meteorology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has warned that pollution reduces the resistance of corals in the process whitening, a destructive phenomenon that affects coral reefs. Every year flock to areas with coral reefs between 6 thousand and 14 thousand tons of sunscreen, most of which contain between 1% and 10% benzophenone-3. The study authors estimate that this poses a risk exposure at least 10% of coral reefs in the world.
The BP-3 is present in more than 3,500 products for sun protection, says the study, adding that exposure to BP-3 causes severe morphological deformation in certain corals, damaging their DNA and acts as an endocrine disruptor, causing the death of the coral itself.
“You have to seriously reconsider the use of products containing BP-3 in the islands and in areas where the conservation of coral reefs is a key issue, “said Dr. Craig Down, lead author of the study and a member of the environmental laboratory Haereticus of Virginia, in the United States. “In the Caribbean region have lost at least 80% of coral reefs. Whatever effort, however small, directed to reduce contamination by BP-3 could mean a lot for the survival of coral reefs during a hot summer or for the recovery of a damaged area, “he added.
Recently, the US agency that deals with meteorology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has warned that pollution reduces the resistance of corals in the process whitening, a destructive phenomenon that affects coral reefs. Every year flock to areas with coral reefs between 6 thousand and 14 thousand tons of sunscreen, most of which contain between 1% and 10% benzophenone-3. The study authors estimate that this poses a risk exposure at least 10% of coral reefs in the world.
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