Corals, which produce 50% of oxygen, are strongly impacted by several phenomena, including human activity. This study shows that 15 to 20 chemical substances, dumped into the sea due to lack of sanitation, contribute to their degradation.
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This is an additional threat to coral beds in overseas territories. We already knew that global warming had destroyed part of their coral. The national health security agency is now warning of the consequences of chemical pollution.
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In a new opinion, ANSES establishes that corals suffer in particular from pesticides, hydrocarbons and sun creams.
15 to 20 harmful chemicals
To carry out this study, ANSES worked for several years with Office FFrench of Biodiversity. Their work concentrate on Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion and Mayotte. The results show that there is a risk of contamination of corals with chemicals, explains Aurélie Mathieu, expertise coordinator for Anses.
“We were able to show that there are risks for around 15 to 20 substances, and that this can lead to the degradation of corals.”
Aurélie Mathieu, expertise coordinator for ANSESat franceinfo
To reach this conclusion, ANSES did not carry out a test on the corals, but did peeled Literature. In the list of dangers, we find almost half of the sun creams studied. Metals like iron or aluminum are coming lengthen the list, but also pesticides among which the chlordecone and finally, two hydrocarbons.
So many elements that we find directly in the sea, partly because of the lack of sanitation. “In certain overseas territories, sanitation networks may be faulty, and therefore wastewater is not sufficiently treated. Rainwater, which is also not treated, also helps to drain chemical substances from the surface and finds them directly in the sea.“, specifies Aurélie Mathieu.
ANSES also questions the quality of the creams, which claim to be harmless for the environment. She recalls that 20% of corals on the planet have already been irreparably destroyed.