Toxic Chemical

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There is a consumer item that threatens the marine eco-system as much as plastic goods dumped into the ocean. Sunscreen. Experts say that a small amount of a paritcular chemical contained in sunscreen is damaging coral reefs under water and promoting their extinction.​

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This is a colorful colony of coral reefs. Corals serve as the foundation of the marine eco-system, as 25 percent of marine organisms worldwide live near them. However, coral is disappearing quickly. It is due to worsening global warming and a rise in waste discharged into the ocean. There is a warning that only less than ten percent of coral across the world will be left by 2050 if the situation goes unchecked.

[Soundbite] Prof. Ruth Gates (University of Hawaii)

Sunscreen is one of the items that pose a threat to the life of coral. A material called oxybenzone is contained in most sunscreens on the market, since it is cheap and effective in blocking UV rays. Oxybenzone is a representative endocrine-disrupting compound and has harmful effects on coral even at a concentration of 62 parts per trillion or a trillionth. It bleaches and dries up coral to death, disrupting the eco-system. Roughly 14,000 tons of sunscreen flow into the ocean annually. With the situation exacerbating, the state of Hawaii announced a ban on the use of sunscreens containing oxybenzone at the beach starting from 2021. Korea needs to carry out an in-depth ecological study and devise measures to protect corals, as an endangered coral species has been found near the coast of Jeju.