Study shows even tiny amount of sunscreen damages coral

A study has shown that the sunscreen put on by beach-goers and snorkelers is actually killing the coral reefs across the globe. Even a single drop can wreak havoc on the coral. This study was released this Tuesday and was conducted in Hawaii and U.S. Virgin Islands. A group of researchers were out on a Caribbean beach. A vendor their told them, “Just wait to see what they’d leave behind – a long oil slick.” This comment got the researchers working on the study.

The study did not just prove that corals can be damaged by even a drop of sunscreen, it also showed three ways in which the major sunscreen ingredient “oxyben zone” causes the coral to break drown, deplete its nutrients and turns it white like a ghost. It’s not just the beach-goers who are damaging the coral reefs at the shore, but also athletes who put sunscreen before running, mothers who apply sunscreen to their children’s screen before they go out to play and people who sit and catch sun rays at the park – all these people wash it off after coming home.

Some cities have built sewer outfalls which leads all the chemicals in to the ocean. To top it all, during heavy rains the sewer overflows and spills a lot of contaminated water in to the streams and rivers. Apart from sunscreens, other products like contraceptive pills contain chemicals which can alter an organism’s growth by disrupting their endocrine levels. Now this is also one of major suspects of investigation as to why male bass fish have come to develop female organs.

Only two islands were chosen for conducting the study. But globally, approximately 14,000 tons of sunscreen is discharged into waters every year killing coral reefs. 10 percent of the reefs are at the risk of very high damage. John Fauth, associate professor of biology at University of central Florida said, “The most direct evidence we have is from beaches with a large amount of people in the water. But another way is through the waste water streams. People come inside and step into the shower. People forget it goes somewhere.”

The study has been published in journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. The findings of John Fauth and his co-authors – Craig Downs and Esti Kramarsky-Winter show that the world is going through a “3rd global coral bleaching event”. The study warned that the coral health is being undermined and it might not be able to recover from the bleaching effects. Downs said, “The use of oxyben zone-containing products needs to be seriously deliberated in islands and areas where coral reef conservation is a critical issue,” We have lost at least 80 percent of the coral reefs in the Caribbean. Any small effort to reduce oxyben zone pollution could mean that a coral reef survives a long, hot summer, or that a degraded area recovers.”

Image Source: mirrordaily.com