Toxicopathological Effects of the Sunscreen UV Filter, Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), on Coral Planulae and Cultured Primary Cells and Its Environmental Contamination in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Abstract

Toxicity persistence to the nontarget amphipod Hyalella curvispina in runoff events following chlorpyrifos applications to soy experimental plots was compared in conventional and no-till management. Two application scenarios were compared: an early-season application with the soil almost bare and a late-season application after the foliage had attained complete soil cover. H. curvispina was exposed to chlorpyrifos using two different test systems: a short-term (48 h) runoff water exposure and a long-term (10 days) soil exposure. Both commonly used crop management practices for soybean production resulted in runoff toxicity following pesticide applications and represent a toxicity risk for adjacent inland waters. Toxicity persistence was longer after the earlier than the late season application, likely because of higher volatilization and photodecomposition losses from the soy canopy than from the soil. For the early-season application, toxicity persisted longer in the no-till plots than in the conventional tillage plots. Suspended matter was higher in the conventional treatment. Chlorpyrifos sorption to suspended matter likely contributed to the shorter persistence. For the late-season application, toxicity persisted longer in the conventional treatment. The causes remain conjectural. The soil organic carbon content was higher in the no-till treatment. Sorption to organic matter might have contributed to the shorter chlorpyrifos toxicity persistence in no-till management. Late applications are more frequent and prevail longer throughout the soy growing season. Overall, the no-till management practice seems preferably because shorter toxicity persistence in runoff represents a lower environmental risk for the adjacent inland waters.

Sunscreen bans: Coral reefs and skin cancer

“…They reported that the parent compound and two cyclodimer photoproducts are toxic to cells (NIH/3T3). Danovaro et al conducted several independent in situ studies on several species of coral in different areas of the world. At all sampling sites sunscreens, including oxybenzone and octinoxate produced dose‐related (as low as 10 μL/L) and temperature‐related (greater at 30°C vs 28°C) bleaching. Downs et al . examined the effects of oxybenzone on the larval form (planula) of one species of coral and in vitro toxicity of six additional species of coral.…”

Dermatological and environmental toxicological impact of the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone/benzophenone‐3

“…In 2008, Danovaro et al were one of the first to report that oxybenzone had a negative impact on coral causing bleaching and death at concentrations of 33 and 50 parts per million (ppm). Additional research published in 2015 by Downs et al identified oxybenzone as a phototoxicant, genotoxicant, and a skeletal endocrine disruptor in coral. They determined a lethal concentration 50 (LC50) for coral larvae that ranged from 139 to 3100 ppb depending on the specific test conditions.…”

In vitro metabolism of sunscreen compounds by liquid chromatography/high‐resolution tandem mass spectrometry

“…For example, it can cause contact and photo‐contact allergic reactions and has been linked to Hirschsprung's disease . It can also act as an endocrine disruptor, and light actually exacerbates its adverse effects . In oceans, BP‐3 has been shown to have a detrimental effect on coral .…”

“…It can affect the survival, proliferation, and invasion of human trophoblastic cells, and has been shown to block crucial cell signaling pathways . It can also induce oxidative stress by disrupting the mitochondrial membrane . Some studies have shown that octocrylene can penetrate the skin, where it acts as a photo‐sensitizer and produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) .…”