10 - Assessing the impact of mineral and organic sunscreens on the life history of a benthic marine invertebrate
Description/Abstract/Artist Statement
Organic and mineral sunscreens have become emergent anthropogenic pollutants in marine environments due to increased use in recreational activities and their presence in wastewater discharge. Marine invertebrates have shown sensitivities to both forms of sunscreen, such as reduced reproductive success and survival. Despite knowledge of these effects, few experiments have investigated the impacts of different application forms of these sunscreens or their simultaneous presence. In this experiment, we will investigate the impacts of six organic sunscreens - with 3% Avobenzone, 15% Homosalate, 5% Octinoxate, and 10% Octocylene as active ingredients - and six 24% zinc oxide mineral sunscreens on the survival and fecundity of the marine annelid Ophyrotrocha labronica over a week of exposure. Individuals will be exposed to 12 treatment combinations of sunscreen type (organic and inorganic), application (spray or lotion), and concentration (0 mg/L, 5 mg/L, and 50 mg/L). Two mixed treatments will be included in the experiment: one combining a randomly chosen inorganic spray sunscreen with an organic lotion, and the other combining an organic spray with an inorganic lotion, tested at a concentration of 50 mg/L. Sunscreen active ingredient types were chosen from a survey of vendors conducted to identify the most prevalent ingredients. We predict higher mortality and reduced fecundity at higher concentrations and combined treatments. Additionally, we expect greater mortality from organic sunscreens due to bulk zinc oxide’s lessened bioavailability in marine waters. Our study will provide a more realistic account of the detrimental effects of sunscreen use on marine benthic species.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Gloria Massamba N'Siala
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Department of Biological Sciences
College Affiliation
College of Sciences
Presentation Type
Poster
Disciplines
Marine Biology | Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Toxicology
10 - Assessing the impact of mineral and organic sunscreens on the life history of a benthic marine invertebrate
Organic and mineral sunscreens have become emergent anthropogenic pollutants in marine environments due to increased use in recreational activities and their presence in wastewater discharge. Marine invertebrates have shown sensitivities to both forms of sunscreen, such as reduced reproductive success and survival. Despite knowledge of these effects, few experiments have investigated the impacts of different application forms of these sunscreens or their simultaneous presence. In this experiment, we will investigate the impacts of six organic sunscreens - with 3% Avobenzone, 15% Homosalate, 5% Octinoxate, and 10% Octocylene as active ingredients - and six 24% zinc oxide mineral sunscreens on the survival and fecundity of the marine annelid Ophyrotrocha labronica over a week of exposure. Individuals will be exposed to 12 treatment combinations of sunscreen type (organic and inorganic), application (spray or lotion), and concentration (0 mg/L, 5 mg/L, and 50 mg/L). Two mixed treatments will be included in the experiment: one combining a randomly chosen inorganic spray sunscreen with an organic lotion, and the other combining an organic spray with an inorganic lotion, tested at a concentration of 50 mg/L. Sunscreen active ingredient types were chosen from a survey of vendors conducted to identify the most prevalent ingredients. We predict higher mortality and reduced fecundity at higher concentrations and combined treatments. Additionally, we expect greater mortality from organic sunscreens due to bulk zinc oxide’s lessened bioavailability in marine waters. Our study will provide a more realistic account of the detrimental effects of sunscreen use on marine benthic species.