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Hawaii and Other Jurisdictions Ban Oxybenzone or Octinoxate Sunscreens Based on the Confirmed Adverse Environmental Effects of Sunscreen Ingredients on Aquatic Environments

The importance of adequate sunscreen use for the prevention of skin cancers has been highlighted across several recent papers in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. The Canadian Dermatology Association’s recommendations include applying a generous amount of sunscreen to sufficiently cover the entire body and to repeat application regularly especially when outdoor or swimming. Two major types of sunscreens are recognized: mineral/inorganic blockers that deflect ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and chemical/organic filters that absorb UVR. Environmental concerns were recently highlighted with the use of organic sunscreen filters, namely oxybenzone, octinoxate, enzacamene, homosalate, octisalate, avobenzone, and octocrylene, that have been detected in water sources/supply around the world. Every year, ~14 000 tons of sunscreen are estimated to affect coral reefs habitats. Organic filters reach the aquatic environments after being absorbed by the skin and excreted in the urine, thereby released in the plumbing or after being washed off the skin directly in oceans, lakes, swimming pools, or showers and, more importantly, through waste products from cosmetics or sunscreen manufactures and industries. It has been shown that the highest concentration of organic filters in the water is reached in summer months and in densely populated regions. Mitchelmore et al recently were the first to investigate organic filters concentration in coral reefs in 3 locations in Hawaii. Octisalate, homosalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone were frequently detected in the corals revealing the omnipresence of these products in Hawaiian coral reef habitats. Unfortunately, common wastewater treatments fail to remove organic sunscreen filters that thereby accumulate and affect marine organisms. Toxicity of such pollutants contribute to whitening of corals, also called bleaching, possibly due to the activation of coral viruses causing oxidative stress and thus extrusion of symbiotic algae, ultimately resulting in coral extinction, a damage exacerbated by the global climate change. In vitro studies have shown that high concentration of oxybenzone reduces chlorophyll content and inhibits cell growth. McCoshum et al exposed Xenia spp. coral to 0.26 mL/L of sunscreen containing homosalate, oxybenzone, octocrylene, octisalate, and avobenzone for 72 hours. Results showed a significant growth reduction in the exposed colonies compared to the unexposed group. Similar findings were obtained for flatworm and a decreased fluorescence was observed in Nitzschia spp. planktonic diatoms. Furthermore, oxybenzone and octinoxate reduce the ability of corals to adapt to climate variation and impair additional corals recruitment. Numerous studies have detected chemical filters in marine organisms, including white fish, roach, perch, cod, rainbow trout, barb, chub, and mussels. In vitro studies have shown an impact of chemical filters on reproductive behavior in rats, eggs production in rainbow trout and Japanese rice fish, as well as brain and liver development in zebra fish. In a Norwegian study, octocrylene was the most frequently found chemical in cod liver followed by oxybenzone. Moreover, the ability of UVR filters to bioaccumulate in marine species raises concern for potential consequences of ingesting the affected seafood. In order to protect marine ecosystem, Hawaii recently prohibited the sale and distribution of sunscreen products containing oxybenzone or octinoxate. Considering current evidence on effects of chemical filters on coral reefs and aquatic species, Palau government has also signed a law that restricts the sale and use of sunscreen and cosmetics that contain any of the 10 chemicals including oxybenzone, octocrylene, and octinoxate. Similarly, Key West city commission