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HONOLULU (AP) – If you want to swim on the beaches of Hawaii, before throwing your sunscreen
The governor of Hawaii, David Ige, enacted a law on Tuesday that ban the sale of sunscreens containing the chemical substances oxybenzone and octylmethoxycinnamate that could damage coral reefs.
The measure makes Hawaii the first state in the United States to approve a ban on these chemicals, which will come into effect in 2021.
Scientists have discovered that both substances may be toxic to coral which is a vital part of the ocean ecosystem and a popular attraction for tourists. Instead, consumers will have to buy sun creams that do not contain such chemical compounds .
Opponents say that there is not enough scientific studies to support the claim that chemicals are harmful to coral reefs.
The group of Hawaii retail merchants is worried that the ban will discourage people from buying sunscreens in traditional stores.
According to a study by Craig Downs, a biologist at Haereticus Environmental Laboratory in Virginia, United States, and other researchers, Oxybenzone prevents the development of juvenile corals threatening future generations of this species.
Researchers diluted different concentrations of this chemical in several tanks of coral larvae, called planulae, within which photosynthetic algae are captured that keep the corals alive and color them in different colors
. after eight hours of exposure to oxybenzone, the planets take a circular shape, lose their mobility and coloration according to the scientific site scidev.net.
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