Nanoparticles revealed to negatively impact marine life

Published: 19-Sep-2014

Nanoparticles in sunblock could be damaging marine life, according to a new study published by the journal of the American Chemical Society

Nanoparticles in sunblock could be damaging marine life, according to a new study published by the journal of the American Chemical Society. Antonio Tovar-Sanchez of the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalucía and David Sánchez-Quiles of the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA), Department of Global Change Research in Spain, found that when sunbathers enter the sea, the titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles in their sunblock wash off and can react with ultraviolet light to form new, potentially toxic compounds such as hydrogen peroxide.

“High amounts of hydrogen peroxide can harm phytoplankton, the microscopic algae that feed everything from small fish to shrimp to whales,” said the study. In sunscreen, nanoparticles are coated with silica or aluminium to protect the skin, but in seawater the coatings wash off, leaving the underlying microparticles to react with sunlight.

Based on laboratory tests at a beach in Majorca – where there were around 10,000 beachgoers – seawater sampling and tourism data, the scientists concluded that titanium dioxide from sunblock was largely responsible for a dramatic summertime spike in hydrogen peroxide levels in Mediterranean coastal waters, with potentially dangerous consequences for marine life.

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