News Release | August 9, 2022
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should conduct an ecological risk assessment of ultraviolet (UV) filters, the active ingredient used in sunscreens, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Given the evidence that aquatic ecosystems in the U.S. and possibly endangered species are exposed to these UV filters, and given the importance of these ingredients in skin cancer prevention, this assessment is urgently needed and should be shared with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for consideration in their oversight of UV filters.
UV filters used in sunscreen have been found in numerous aquatic environments, and in water, sediment, and animal tissue. The report focuses on the 17 UV filters used in the United States. Ecological risk assessments compare the concentration at which exposure to a chemical is expected to occur with research on its toxicity, defining the particular settings and conditions under which an environmental stressor might cause ecological impacts. The environmental risk of UV filters is complex, the report notes, because of the variability among filters, environments, filter concentrations, and sensitivity of exposed species.
“An ecological risk assessment will help inform efforts to understand the environmental impacts of UV filters, and potentially clarify a path forward for managing sunscreens,” said Charles A. Menzie, former executive director of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, principal at Exponent Inc., and chair of the committee that wrote the report. “At the same time, it is clear decision-makers need more information as they navigate protecting both the environment and human health. Federal agencies and industry should fund and pursue research to fill these information gaps.”
EPA Ecological Risk Assessment
Review of Fate, Exposure, and Effects of Sunscreens in Aquatic Environments and Implications for Sunscreen Usage and Human Health says an EPA assessment should focus on environments that are more likely to be exposed and that may contain sensitive species. These could include coral reefs in shallow environments near shorelines with heavy recreational use and limited flow of seawater, or reefs where wastewater and urban runoff enter the water. Slow-moving freshwater systems with heavy swimming and recreational activity or wastewater are another priority for assessment.
Interaction with other environmental stressors, such as climate change, rising ocean temperature, and pollution and other local conditions, should also be considered in an ecological risk assessment. Given the diversity of important species potentially exposed to UV filters, the assessment should include a broader range of species and biological effects than the standard species normally included in toxicity studies.
Because products often contain a mix of multiple UV filters, the ecological risk assessment should examine the impacts of UV filters not just individually, but also when mixed together.
Sunscreen and Human Health
The report confirms with a high level of certainty that consistent use of high SPF (30 and above) broad-spectrum sunscreens reduces risk for skin cancer, sunburn, and photoaging. Behavioral studies show that sunscreen use is generally inadequate; sunscreen is not used by all who should use it, too little is used, and it is not reapplied frequently enough. Reduced availability of sunscreens preferred by consumers may lead to reduced use, which would be expected to have a negative impact on health. However, changes in sun protection behavior are not easily predicted with current information, and may be dependent on which UV filters are available in a given situation and whether they can provide broad-spectrum protection in a cosmetically appealing product.
UV Filters and Environment
There are few studies on the longer-term environmental effects of UV filter exposure, or how UV filters may impact ecosystems as a whole. Toxicity data for many species, particularly marine species, are limited.
Some UV filters have the potential to persist and accumulate in ecosystems. However, information about the rate at which UV filters dissipate and degrade in the environment is limited. UV filters in surface waters and sediments vary based on location and on when the measurement is taken. Some of these measurements are reflective of the degree of human activity nearby — for example, measurements can be higher near recreational areas.
Future UV Filter Research
EPA and partner agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and FDA — along with sunscreen formulators and UV filter manufacturers — should conduct, fund, or support further research on UV filters. This research should include not only examination of environmental impacts through bioaccumulation studies and toxicity testing but also epidemiological risk modeling and behavioral studies to better understand the health impacts of changing UV filter availability and use.
The study — undertaken by the Committee on the Environmental Impact of Currently Marketed Sunscreens and Potential Human Impacts of Changes in Sunscreen Usage — was sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.