Phototoxicity of sunscreens to sea anemones and corals
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Reports of sunscreen toxicity to corals have raised concerns about the impacts of sunscreens released by ecotourists on corals already weakened by global stressors. This has led to bans on sunscreen ingredients in several jurisdictions with reefs including Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands. However, the toxicity mechanism(s) are not understood, raising questions about the bans, and hindering development of safer sunscreens. This thesis presents research on the phototoxicity of several common sunscreen ingredients to sea anemones and a mushroom coral. Surprisingly, while sunscreens are designed to protect from photo-oxidation by ultraviolet (UV) light, oxybenzone, dioxybenzone, avobenzone and homosalate sunscreens became toxic under UV light, inducing mortality in anemones. Oxybenzone sunscreen, was metabolized in the anemones and corals into glucoside conjugates, which were strong photo-oxidants. Algal symbionts living inside the animals partially protected them by sequestering the sunscreens and their metabolites, suggesting that corals "bleached" by rising seawater temperatures may be at particular risk from sunscreens. These results should help guide research, regulation and design of safer sunscreens, aiding reef conservation efforts.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2022; ©2022 |
| Publication date | 2022; 2022 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Vuckovic, Djordje |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Mitch, William A |
| Thesis advisor | Mitch, William A |
| Thesis advisor | Boehm, Alexandria |
| Thesis advisor | Luthy, Richard G |
| Degree committee member | Boehm, Alexandria |
| Degree committee member | Luthy, Richard G |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Djordje Vuckovic. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2022. |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/tv652sv6232 |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2022 by Djordje Vuckovic
Also listed in
Loading usage metrics...