How Prevalent is Chemical-Based Sunscreen?
Chemical-based sunscreens pose a rapidly growing threat to the environment and consumers' health. It was found that Coral reef contamination of oxybenzone in the U.S. Virgin Islands ranged from 75 lg/L to 1.4 mg/L, whereas Hawaiian sites were contaminated between 0.8 and 19.2 lg/L."(Knuston, Para. 1). Compounds from chemical-based sunscreens can easily wear off consumers' skin into waterways, negatively impacting marine life and posing a significant threat to those in contact with the compounds. The CDC also released a study that showed oxybenzone was present in 97% of Americans' blood.
Chemical sunscreen poses a threat to all bodies of water
Nearly every sunscreen commonly found on supermarket or convenience store shelves has at least one ingredient that is harmful to either the consumer or the environment. It is important that no matter where you live, you choose an environmentally and consumer-friendly sun protection option. Even in landlocked states, the environmental effects of chemical sunscreen can be significant due to rivers flowing into oceans, or compounds accumulating in local marine life like fish.
