British researchers have succeeded in producing a natural sunscreen from algae. Is there a replacement for the radiation filter in use today, which damages corals and is also harmful to humans?
By Racheli Vox, Angle, Science and Environment News Agency
Let's not lie to ourselves: it's not really winter now. True, it rained here and there, there were some storms, but there were also many real summer days, in which Amounts of bathers on the beaches Mention July more than December. Even if we are now cold sometimes, the days have already started to get longer again, so the amount of time you can sit on the beach, apply sunscreen, wade in the water and eat a popsicle is only going to increase.
Now, this pastime may become friendlier to our health and the environment thanks to findings that may lead to the development of an effective sunscreen that, unlike creams currently on the market, will not harm marine ecosystems. This is thanks to its unique source: algae.
Natural sunscreen
בstudy Recently published, researchers produced a substance called Palythine from the edible red algae Chrondus yendoi, and tested its effects on human skin cell culture exposed to UV radiation - the harmful solar radiation, champagne protects sunscreens. Palatine is a type of MAA (Mycosporine-like amino acid) - natural compounds produced by creatures that live in shallow water areas. MAAs work against the sun's harmful radiation by directly absorbing the photons (light particles) of the UV radiation, similar to the sunscreens that exist on the market today. The researchers found that even very low concentrations of palladium can effectively protect from the sun, absorbing harmful UV radiation and protecting against its damage.
In addition, the researchers also found that platinum is a powerful antioxidant that can protect human skin from oxidative stress - a condition in which a chemical reaction of oxidation creates free radicals, which in turn start a chain reaction that causes damage to cells and aging of the skin. Large amounts of solar radiation cause high oxidative stress, and the materials currently used in sunscreens do not provide protection against this phenomenon. The effect of platinum on oxidation was found when it was used before exposure to UV radiation, and even when it was used immediately after it.
The sun, as we know, is very important for life and vegetation on Earth, and specifically for species such as algae, whose existence is based on photosynthesis - using the energy of sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and the materials from which the creature builds its body. However, like humans, algae can also be damaged by excessive amounts of solar radiation. For example, they may suffer DNA damage, a phenomenon that occurs in humans due to overexposure to UV radiation, and leads us to sunburn and sometimes even skin cancer. Therefore, in species such as algae, which live in shallow waters that are naturally rich in UV radiation, the MAAs have evolved, which are used as a natural "sunscreen".
Harms man and corals
"Sunscreens have been around for a very long time, but in recent years evidence has been accumulating regarding their problematic nature for us and the environment," says Dr. Amri Bronstein, a post-doctoral student at the Natural History Museum in Vienna and a researcher at the Steinhardt Museum of Nature at Tel Aviv University. The main problematic ingredient in the sun protection creams on the market today is Oxybenzone, defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency as "a pollutant suspected of being dangerous". Studies have shown that among mammals and fish, oxybenzone behaves as a hormonal disruptor, that is, an external component that can disrupt physiological activity that depends on the hormones naturally present in the body. In mice and rats exposed to oxybenzone there was a decrease in the activity of the immune system and a decrease in body weight. The substance was also found to be toxic to the reproductive system in many of the animals tested.
Oxybenzone causes significant damage to sensitive marine creatures, such as corals, fish and microorganisms. Scientists estimate thatBetween 6,000 and 14 thousand tons of sunscreen reach the world's coral reefs every year, through the bathers at the beaches as well as through the sewage that reaches the sea. A minimal concentration of oxybenzone is sufficient to cause damage to the coral's DNA, which causes severe structural deformations. Along with this damage, they are caused hormonal disturbances that disrupt the mechanisms of building the skeleton, and cause the corals to be buried in the skeleton they themselves produce. The coral embryos are the main victims, as those affected by oxybenzone are no longer able to settle in the reefs and maintain their animal succession. Such damage to the young corals casts doubt on the ability of reefs damaged by a wide variety of factors to recover.
Of course, it will likely be some time before you can buy an algae-based sunscreen in your local store, and the subject requires much more research and development. For example, it is necessary to prove that platinum protects the human skin even outside the sterile laboratory. "There is a gap between an article and applicability as a product," says Bronstein. "There are challenges, for example the need for the product to have a relevant shelf life. We also need to know the degree of toxicity of the MAA in commercial use."
However, these difficulties do not diminish the importance of the new study. One of its most important points is the fact that it was conducted on human cells, even if under laboratory conditions. "One of the things that is missing in the field is articles that emphasize the direct angle of people," says Bronstein.
"Public pressure can have an effect"
The new findings also join a trend that is gaining momentum. "There is a growing trend, to our delight, of finding alternative solutions to the ones we have today in terms of sunscreens," says Bronstein. "However, in Israel exposure to this issue is still very limited, even though it is relevant in a sunny country like ours."
In the meantime, of course, it is very important to be careful of the sun's harmful radiation. Using sunscreen is better than the damage that UV radiation can cause, such as skin aging, DNA damage and of course skin cancer. However, sunscreen is not the only way to protect yourself. "The key is passive protection: not being exposed to the sun if possible, and wearing long clothing, even on the beach," says Bronstein.
Beyond that, according to Bronstein, public pressure can make cosmetics companies invest more in developing environmentally friendly sunscreens. "Depending on public opinion, the big corporations will compete among themselves to come out with products without oxybenzone," he says. "There are already such products abroad. Let's hope it will continue to gain momentum", he concludes.
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