Comments on: Swimmers’ Sunscreen Kills Coral http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/swimmers-sunscreen-kills-coral/749 for environmentalists who don't take themselves too seriously Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:34:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mike G http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/swimmers-sunscreen-kills-coral/749/comment-page-1#comment-165733 Mike G Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:57:19 +0000 http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/swimmers-sunscreen-kills-coral/749#comment-165733 This is really a piss poor study. The authors showed that high concentrations of some chemicals in sunscreen can cause harm to corals. Not that this actually happens in the wild. Simple sugar can have similar effects (and at known real-world levels). The really unimpressive part of this is that the concentrations they used in the tests have no basis in actual values from coral reefs. They didn't even bother to measure. They cite a study done on a popular swimming lake as the basis for the concentration they chose, but use a value several times that found in the lake. In reality you would expect to have lower levels near coral reefs than in a lake due to dilution- that is if you actually measured. There is no indication that these results bear any resemblance to any real-world case. This is really a piss poor study. The authors showed that high concentrations of some chemicals in sunscreen can cause harm to corals. Not that this actually happens in the wild. Simple sugar can have similar effects (and at known real-world levels).

The really unimpressive part of this is that the concentrations they used in the tests have no basis in actual values from coral reefs. They didn’t even bother to measure. They cite a study done on a popular swimming lake as the basis for the concentration they chose, but use a value several times that found in the lake. In reality you would expect to have lower levels near coral reefs than in a lake due to dilution- that is if you actually measured.

There is no indication that these results bear any resemblance to any real-world case.

]]> By: jeckle http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/swimmers-sunscreen-kills-coral/749/comment-page-1#comment-64607 jeckle Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:17:47 +0000 http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/swimmers-sunscreen-kills-coral/749#comment-64607 I am a scuba diver and I would like to know what kind of sun screen I should buy and use. Thank you I am a scuba diver and I would like to know what kind of sun screen I should buy and use.
Thank you

]]> By: sarah http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/swimmers-sunscreen-kills-coral/749/comment-page-1#comment-56509 sarah Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:27:32 +0000 http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/swimmers-sunscreen-kills-coral/749#comment-56509 wow thankyou for posting this it is amazing so now we need to make coral safe sunscreen, just like the dolphin safe stuff maybe? wow thankyou for posting this it is amazing so now we need to make coral safe sunscreen, just like the dolphin safe stuff maybe?

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