The sunscreen that snorkelers, beachgoers and children romping in the waves lather on for protection is killing coral and reefs around the globe. And a new study finds that a single drop in a small area is all it takes for the chemicals in the lotion to mount an attack.
Not only did the study determine that a tiny amount of sunscreen is all it takes to begin damaging the delicate corals – the equivalent of a drop of water in a half-dozen Olympic-sized swimming pools – it documented three ways that the ingredient oxybenzone breaks the coral down, robbing it of life-giving nutrients and turning it ghostly white.
Adverse effects on coral started on with concentrations as low as 62 parts per trillion. Yet measurements of oxybenzone in seawater within coral reefs in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands found concentrations ranging from 800 parts per trillion to 1.4 parts per million. That's 12 times the concentrations needed to harm coral.
Oxybenzone is used in more than 3,500 sunscreen products worldwide. Common brands including Coppertone, Baby Blanket Faces, L'Oreal Paris, Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat all use the Oxy.
There are alternative sunscreens with no oxybenzone. The trouble is that nobody really knows about this threat to the reefs, and they take a fair bit of convincing.
This story appeared in the Portland Press Herald
(Score: 1) by termigator on Friday October 23 2015, @05:02PM
FDA only knows if it tests, and they are a stretched pretty thin. Who knows how much they devote to testing all the myriad of cosmetics and lotions that exist along with the other duties of overseeing drug testing and approval and food safety.
Also, you have the phrase, "unacceptable levels of lead," whenever a product is recalled due to lead. I ask, "What is an acceptable level of lead?" We are never told, at least in news articles and recall notices.
I have a running joke of opening the "Acceptable Levels of Lead" store, where it only carries products with acceptable levels of lead.
IMO, there is no level of lead that acceptable. Due to the nature of lead and how it can accumulate and the affects it can have (which can be permanent), any level of exposure should be avoided.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday October 23 2015, @06:41PM
FDA only knows if it tests, and they are a stretched pretty thin. Who knows how much they devote to testing
Ok, Ok, my bad. I assumed what was posted was something believable, even if wrong.
Had I known you were launching off on another nut-case conspiracy theory I would have just modded you troll and moved on.
Howbout a heads up next time?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by termigator on Saturday October 24 2015, @03:03PM
Underfunding of the FDA is a known fact:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK52926/?report=classic [nih.gov]
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/FDAGeneral/53517 [medpagetoday.com]
And when funding is provided, strings are attached to weaken its enforcement capabilities:
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/bill-raises-funding-nih-fda-so-why-doesnt-everyone-love-n390241 [nbcnews.com]
Or any increases are still deficient in funding all the responsibilities the FDA has:
http://www.raps.org/focus-online/news/news-article-view/article/3575/ [raps.org]
Add to that the revolving door and undue influence on the FDA:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/prescription/hazard/independent.html [pbs.org]
You also have to realize that the FDA has limited oversight capabilities when dealing with cosmetic products, so it is unwise to believe the government has adequate consumer safeguards in place for such products.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday October 24 2015, @06:08PM
Post evidence of lead in zink oxide products or STFU. You made a claim, now back it up.
Stop trying to parlay an unsupported opinion into an indictment of an entire government agency.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by termigator on Sunday October 25 2015, @03:56AM
Search for "lead" in the following:
http://www.camdengrey.com/essential-oils/zinc-oxide-powder.html [camdengrey.com]
http://www.bettersheabutter.com/zinc-oxide-powder/ [bettersheabutter.com]
http://www.jostchemical.com/products/zinc/productcode2980/ [jostchemical.com]
http://www.ghchemicals.com/products-specifications/description-of-grades.html [ghchemicals.com]
And these are actual product websites stating that there are trace amounts of lead. A google search of "zinc oxide lead" will give the above and much more, including the following covering how zinc oxide is mined:
http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/11/f4/lead_zinc.pdf [energy.gov]
If you are okay with the amounts, so be it, but I prefer to avoid any exposure when possible. Basically, the nature of the product makes it virtually impossible to make it lead free, so it is one of those, "acceptable levels of lead," scenarios.