Are sunscreens dangerous for the environment?

The holidays are off to a good start and the weather is nice. As soon as they arrive at the beach, it is essential for many French people to protect themselves from the sun’s rays with sunscreen. But when in contact with water, sunscreen can be toxic to the marine environment. Now, it is essential for holidaymakers to protect themselves while preserving the planet, and brands are trying to adapt to this environmental criterion. Most of them now use this criterion as a selling point. Are these new sunscreens more environmentally friendly?

In Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), ten researchers are trying to answer this question by testing industrial products. In their laboratory, they use anemone cells, which are representative of Mediterranean fauna. In the absence of a legislative framework, a label alone is not enough, because there are no regulations in France or Europe. Of the forty sunscreens tested by the scientists, while some of them are less toxic to the marine environment, none are absolutely neutral for the environment.