3 ms·

Toxic to anemones, that is.

• dtagames 4y ago
  The concern is that it's toxic to coral, an important part of the food chain in the ocean. The risks of sunscreen chemicals to coral has been known for years in reef communities like Cancun and Hawaii, but it isn't widely known elsewhere. Of course, many tourists still use these chemicals when they swim in the reef.
  • mherdeg 4y ago
    We're all-in on zinc oxide for sunscreen (90%+ of the time avoiding other chemical alternatives). I don't know if the *-benzones or the other ingredients actually pose any health risks to humans and I doubt the risk is greater than the risk of melanoma after sunburn. But it doesn't cost us much extra to stick to a single ingredient, it's something we already smear on our kids all the time (as Desitin), and it's only slightly more inconvenient to apply without looking like a spooky ghost, so why not?
    • UncleOxidant 4y ago
      zinc is also toxic to corals. https://beachapedia.org/Reef_Friendly_Sunscreens https://beachapedia.org/Reef_Friendly_Sunscreens
      • mistrial9 4y ago
        zinc is toxic to humans, too.. in not-too-much larger amounts. probably need some rational weighting on some of these reactions chains, including dilution, persistence and bio-accumulation, among other things..
  • wrycoder 4y ago
    > Oxybenzone — a chemical linked to coral bleaching — transforms from a UV-blocking agent into one that damages cells when exposed to light. The article subhead, copied above, suggests that oxybenzone, once exposed to seawater, could damage cells. Without qualification, human cells. That was my initial takeaway. It turns out that anemones convert oxybenzone to a molecule that could damage coral. That’s very different.