Recently, a petition has been filed to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reclassify three chemicals used in sunscreen.
Context
Recently, a petition has been filed to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reclassify three chemicals used in sunscreen.
What are the Toxic 3 O?
- Oxybenzone (OBZ)
- Octinoxate (OMC)
- Octocrylene (OCR)
- These three chemicals are active ingredients present in more than two-thirds of all sunscreens.
- These UV filters are known to widely contaminate the environment through a variety of anthropogenic sources, including sewage discharge.
Key-points made in the petition
- The above mentioned chemicals to be shifted to “Not Generally Recognized as Safe & Effective” (GRASE Category II)”.
- Removal of products that contained these chemicals from the marketplace.
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Oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene, along with 11 other Soluble Organic UV Filters, were removed from the GRASE Category I (generally recognized as safe & effective) list in February 2019.
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Reason behind the demand
- Threat to all: These chemicals pose a threat to public health, marine life and coral reefs.
- Damage to reproductive organs: Octocrylene in sun protection products degrades into benzophenone, a carcinogen that can also interfere with key hormones and reproductive organs.
- Leading to various diseases: They cause human cell damage that has been linked to cancer, disrupt hormones, have been found in breast milk, blood and urine and are known allergens.
- Threat to corals: Oxybenzone is particularly toxic to corals at concentrations as low as a few parts per trillion — the equivalent of three drops in an Olympic-size swimming pool may be enough to severely damage or kill coral.
- Ill-effects on human health and overall economy: The ‘Toxic 3 Os’ are also detrimental when there is fishing in contaminated waters, impacting human health and the economy.
