Sunscreen Ban

This summer, millions of people will slather on sunscreen—but first, they should check the label. A number of locations no longer allow sunscreens with certain ingredients known to harm coral reefs (see Science World’s Coral Killer, April 22, 2019). Recently, Palau, a small island chain in the Pacific, became the first nation to ban these products.

Washed-off sunscreen pollutes seawater with chemicals such as oxybenzone and octinoxate. These widely used ingredients protect people’s skin by absorbing the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. But the chemicals are also linked to coral bleaching, when corals turn white and eventually die. Places like Palau hope to encourage visitors to use reef-safe, mineral sunscreen to protect both themselves and the environment.