Hawaii Will Become The First State To Ban Sunscreens Harmful To Protect Its Coral Reefs
Hawaii will soon be the first state to ban the use of sunscreens whose chemical components are harmful to the environment. Local legislators have indeed passed a bill to this effect. The goal? Protect the coral reefs and ocean life.
It's a big first. Hawaiian lawmakers passed a law on Tuesday, May 1 forbidding in the archipelago the sale of sunscreens whose products damage the coral reefs. The ban will come into place on January 1, 2021, once signed by Governor David Idge.
The chemical compounds are oxybenzone and octinoxate. The study that refers to the subject dates from 2008. Conducted by Professor Danovaro and published in the Environmental Health Perspectives, it demonstrates that these two compounds of sunscreens cause coral bleaching or even death.
Seawater analyzes also showed concentrations of oxybenzone (present in some 3,500 sun protection products) 12 times above the toxicity threshold in coastal waters in Hawaii.
This bill was successful despite strong reluctance on the part of the industry. Manufacturers of sunscreen demand more evidence to justify the ban.
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