Sunscreen use and awareness of chemical toxicity among beach goers in Hawaii prior to a ban on the sale of sunscreens containing ingredients found to be toxic to coral reef ecosystems

摘要

The state of Hawaii recently passed legislation banning the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, two chemicals that have been documented to be harmful to coral reef ecosystems, beginning in 2021. However, little is currently known about the sunscreen use patterns of beach-goers in Hawaii. To gain more information about the potential effectiveness of the ban, we surveyed beach-goers to better understand: the prevalence of oxybenzone and octinoxate in sunscreens, the proportion of sunscreens that are purchased in Hawaii and out of state, what factors go into people's selection of sunscreens, awareness of the harmful effects these chemicals, and willingness to switch to "reef-safe" sunscreen alternatives. Slightly over half of sunscreens were purchased in the state of Hawaii, meaning that almost half of sunscreens being used will not be subject to the chemical ban. Approximately 75% of beach goers stated that they were aware of the harmful effects of some sunscreen chemicals, but nearly one-third still used sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate. While this study only documented the presence or absence of the two banned chemicals, the majority of sunscreens still contained other UV blocking chemicals or nano-sized mineral particles that are potentially detrimental to coral health. The majority of respondents stated that they would be willing to switch to reef safe sun protection alternatives, but this is hindered by respondents' lack of knowledge about which chemicals they should avoid. Clear and consistent "reef safe" labeling standards would enable individuals to make more informed sunscreen purchasing decisions.