How thousands of tons of sun-blocking chemicals end up in the ocean every year | DW News

It's something you probably make sure you pack whenever you go on holiday. The familiar smell of sunscreen means the start of lazy days on the beach – and in the water. Sunblock is proven to help prevent you getting burned in the blazing sun – and to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer. But did you know that by saving your skin, you are also harming the environment?

Every time you get creamed up and then go for a dip, as much as half of your sun lotion is washed off into the ocean. For every thousand people wearing sunscreen on a beach, it's believed more than 35 kilograms of these sun-blocking chemicals could be released into the water. Globally, we're talking about thousands of tonnes a year. The chemicals in sunscreen are believed to damage coral reefs and harm marine life. A new study is warning that urgent action is needed to understand the full extent of this damage.

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