How Sunscreen Pollution Affects Marine Environments

Sunscreen is essential for protecting skin from harmful ultraviolet sun rays, but its use by millions of people harms the environment. As the number of international tourists worldwide has grown, sunscreen pollution is affecting coastal areas and marine ecosystems in many ways. This is because sunscreen contains chemicals and small particles that block ultraviolet light but can also harm or kill marine organisms. These consequences are far-reaching because this harm does not limit itself to single organisms: it can impact the whole food chain and cause whole coral reef ecosystems to die. That is why it is important to keep protecting our skin but in a more environmentally friendly way.