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Writing / Irene Vega
UV sunscreens (FUV) are substances used in different industrial and personal care products (mainly sunscreens) to prevent the harmful effects of UV radiation. Despite being useful in protecting against radiation, the focus has been on these substances because they could pose a risk to both the environment and human health, due to the fact that many of them behave as endocrine disruptors, affecting the feeding, growth or reproduction of various aquatic species. “Its release into the environment is mainly due to direct contributions through the washing of human skin in recreational areas, direct excreta or effluents from Water Treatment Plants,” says Dr. Yolanda Valcárcel, director of the Risk research group. Chemicals for Health and the Environment (RiSAMA) and co-author of the article recently published in the magazine Marine Pollution Bulletin.
The main objectives of the study led by the RiSAMA group were to quantify and evaluate the presence and possible environmental risk of sunscreens on the beaches of the Iberian Peninsula, being the first research carried out in this geographical area. In addition, the possible sources of origin have been analyzed, as well as the impact on the beaches of the Portuguese (Lisbon and Algarve) and Spanish coasts (Cádiz-Málaga and the Mar Menor, in Murcia), especially as a consequence of the tourist growth they are experiencing. these regions.
In total, 46 beaches were selected and sampling was carried out between the months of May and August 2021 in order to evaluate the possible seasonal variation. In addition, beaches with different levels of human influence and activities were chosen to determine the factors that could influence environmental concentrations. “After analyzing the samples, we detected the presence of sunscreens in 43 of the 46 sites investigated. The samples collected in the Mar Menor presented the greatest variety of compounds per sample while the rest contained at least one of them," explains Yolanda Valcárcel, who adds that "this area is a semi-closed saltwater lagoon that is very affected by sewage discharges. the treatment plants and the large tourist influx. In addition, this area houses two sampling sites where the highest accumulated load of substances was measured in the entire study, such as the beaches of San Pedro or Villananitos.”
The results collected in this study also indicate that the variables that most contribute to the variation in the concentration of sunscreens are the influx of people, the sampling season, whether the area is an open bay or not, and the level of urbanization, which demonstrates the link between the presence of these compounds in the environment with high tourism areas and the recreational use of coastal places. In this sense, the researcher points out that "the results obtained for both environmental concentrations and risk assessment are consistent with previous studies, which highlights the ubiquity of sunscreens in the environment, particularly in coastal waters."
Greater surveillance and risk analysis
The use of sunscreens is present in everyday life, since they are found in commonly used products. However, studies such as the one carried out by the RiSAMA group highlight the importance of balancing their need and increasing surveillance in different environmental zones, including coastal waters and beaches, to evaluate the potential risks they cause at an environmental level and propose actions for their prevention. proper management.
“Our study provides more information about sunscreens in coastal waters, supports the European Union Watch List and gives more information about the presence of these substances in semi-enclosed lagoons,” says Dr. Valcárcel, who concludes that “the levels determined concentrations and the associated risks are not worrying, however, more specific studies must be carried out in areas of high biodiversity, which may be especially vulnerable to contamination by these substances.