Hawaii's ban on sunscreens

Reinforcing reef resiliency

Hawaii’s ban on sunscreens harmful to coral reefs calls for residents to be mindful of the service coral reefs provide

BY ANTHLEA CHEN AND RAHEL MEYER

Some popular sunscreen products from brands such as Hawaiian Tropic, Coppertone and Banana Boat are prohibited from being sold in stores in Hawaii as of Jan. 1, 2021. According to Hawaiian legislators, the bill was passed because those sunscreens contain chemicals harmful to coral reefs and other marine life.

Nonprofit organization Haereticus Environmental Laboratory says there are 412 pounds of sunscreen deposited daily on the Hanauma Bay reef, which drew an average of 2,600 swimmers per day before the pandemic.

Dr. Spencer Ingley, a BYU–Hawaii biology professor, said, “This is something we can immediately reduce. We can immediately cut how much sunscreen we’re dumping, which is a shocking amount.”

Ingley referred to “the tragedy of the commons,” which is when people pollute a common source because “they think their own impact is really minimal. But if everybody acts as if they’re the only one going out into the ocean wearing sunscreen or taking a bucket of sand from the beach home, the effects get magnified,” he said.

To those who may feel like they don’t have to worry about coral reefs, Ingley said, “There’s this term called ecosystem services. An ecosystem service is something that an intact, healthy ecosystem provides to the human population without anything in return.

“These things include protection from coastal erosion, storm surge and tsunamis. That’s a very direct benefit we get from this ecosystem being intact,” he said.

“They’re really important but also really easy to take for granted. It’s not until we damage the ecosystem that we realize how much money, time and effort it would take to provide the same service the reef would.”

In an AP news article, Governor David Ige said, “This is just one small step toward protecting and restoring the resiliency of Hawaii’s reefs.”

Hawaii State Senator Mike Gabbard, who introduced the sunscreen ban, Senate Bill No.2571, said the sunscreens have been banned to protect Hawaii’s shoreline.

The bill states “two chemicals contained in many sunscreens, oxybenzone and octinoxate, have significant harmful impacts on Hawaii’s marine environment and residing ecosystems, including coral reefs that protect Hawaii’s shoreline.”

With this ban, sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate may only be sold if prescribed by a physician. Popular brands like Sun Bum, Alba Botanica, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, Banana Boat and Aveeno offer some products free of oxybenzone and octinoxate.

According to the New York Times, “An estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen is believed to be deposited in oceans annually with the greatest damage found in popular reef areas in Hawaii and the Caribbean.”

In response, Audrey Acomb, a senior from Utah majoring in graphic design, said, “I think the bill is probably a good thing considering how many people go in the ocean every day.”

Section 1 of the bill says “sea turtles, marine mammals, and migratory birds may be exposed to oxybenzone and octinoxate contamination. The two chemicals have caused the death of coral, coral bleaching, and genetic damage to coral and other marine organisms. These chemicals increase reproductive diseases in marine life, cause deformities, and threaten the continuity of fish populations.”

Acomb asked, “If it’s harmful for the coral, is it harmful for us? And if it’s safer for the coral, is it safer for us?”

In “Fisher’s Contact Dermatitis” (6th ed.) by Robert L. Rietschel and Joseph F. Fowler, it says oxybenzone has replaced para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) derivatives as the most common allergen in sunscreens. However, oxybenzone has not been proven to be toxic to the human immune system.

Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved of the chemicals Hawaii is seeking to ban, the New York Times said those who make traditional sunscreens are opposing this legislation because they are “vital to preventing skin cancer.”

To counter this claim, Ingley said, “There are lots of things that have been approved by the FDA that can kill you and lots of critters. Just because something’s been approved by the FDA doesn’t mean it should have a blank check to be used in whatever context someone wants to use it in. The FDA doesn’t have jurisdiction over the environment as a whole.”

Ciara Sanchez, a senior from California studying peacebuilding, said, “I feel like they’re doing good things with the environment, but they probably won’t be able to stop people from bringing it when they travel. If anything, this will just be an inconvenience to people trying to buy sunscreen.”

But Ingley said, “We can have a very deliberate, positive impact on those ecosystems by doing something different.”

Section 2 of the bill clarifies any sunscreens that contain oxybenzone, octinoxate, or both, will be prohibited from being sold. This includes, but is not limited to “lotion, paste, balm, ointment, cream, solid stick applicator, brush applicator, roll-on applicator, aerosol spray, non-aerosol spray pump, and automated and manual mist spray.”

People are being encouraged to use mineral sunscreens with non-nano size zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Non-nano size is considered reef-safe because it will be less likely to be consumed by corals. •

Double check to make sure your sunscreen is safe for Hawaii's reefs. Photos by Mark Daeson Tabbilos