Showing posts with label sunscreen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sunscreen. Show all posts

Monday, May 26, 2008

Sunscreen ingredients bad for coral reefs

Discovery News reports that sunscreen ingredients are a "major cause of coral bleaching."

A study by the European Commission found that sunscreen ingredients start distressing coral reefs immediately and cause complete bleaching within 4 days:
"An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen are released annually in reef areas, with 25 percent of the sunscreen ingredients on skin released into water over the course of a 20-minute submersion."
Sunscreens are recommended to protect against skin cancer.

Read the full story: Sunscreen stresses coral reefs