Common sunscreen ingredients prove dangerous for freshwater ecosystems


Date:
September 2, 2020
Source:
University of Alberta
Summary:
The results show that long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV)
filters - - including avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octocrylene --
is lethal for some organisms living in freshwater environments. One
of the largest sources of UV-filter contamination in both marine
and freshwater environments is from sunscreen leaching off of the
skin while swimming.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The active ingredients found in sunscreen have detrimental effects
on freshwater ecosystems, according to new research by University of
Alberta biologists.


==========================================================================
The results show that long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) filters - - including avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octocrylene -- is lethal for some organisms living in freshwater environments. One of the largest sources
of UV- filter contamination in both marine and freshwater environments
is from sunscreen leaching off of the skin while swimming.

"We do know that UV-filters are particularly devastating to coral reefs
and cause bleaching, but there has been almost no research on what
the effects are to freshwater animals," explained Aaron Boyd, graduate
student in the Department of Biological Sciences and lead author on the
paper. "To address this, we examined the effects of UV-filters in the
water flea, Daphnia magna." The results show that exposure to UV-filters
over a 48-hour period prevented the fleas from navigating through their environment. Exposure over a 14-day period -- similar to what might
occur near popular beach areas -- proved lethal for the tiny crustaceans.

"This is particularly bad for a freshwater ecosystem as a whole, as
Daphnia are an important part of the food chain for many smaller species
of fish," added Boyd, who completed this research in collaboration with graduate student Connor Stewart, under the supervision of Assistant
Professor Tamzin Blewett and Professor Keith Tierney. "Losing a
Daphnia population would put all of the species that rely on them at
risk of starvation, and in certain conditions could cause the local
ecosystem to collapse." The good news, Boyd explained, is that the
fleas were able to recover their ability to navigate through the water
once the contamination was removed -- a good sign for environmental
recovery. "These chemicals are short-lived in the environment, so if we
remove the sources of pollution, then there is a reasonable chance for
the organisms in those environments to recover," he said.

Further research is required to better understand the long-term impact
of UV- filters -- and research continues in the search for non-toxic
UV filters.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Alberta. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Aaron Boyd, Connor B. Stewart, Danielle A. Philibert, Zuo Tong How,
Mohamed Gamal El-Din, Keith B. Tierney, Tamzin A. Blewett. A burning
issue: The effect of organic ultraviolet filter exposure on the
behaviour and physiology of Daphnia magna. Science of The Total
Environment, 2021; 750: 141707 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141707 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200902091112.htm

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