Meeting Abstract
Increased releases of zinc oxide (ZnO) sunscreen ingredients into marine environments will accompany the growing popularity of physical sunscreens. Though zinc (Zn) is a necessary micronutrient in the ocean, greater than natural amounts of Zn enter marine environments by anthropogenic sources. The consequences of adding Zn to the ocean are not fully understood. We tested how physical factors affect the release of non-nano Zn and other sunscreen ingredients into seawater and effects of these ingredients on the development of California purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, embryos. We hypothesized that despite being labeled “reef or environment safe”, these sunscreens will have negative effects on the development of larval urchins because they release Zn2+, which may be internalized by the developing embryos. By simulating human Zn release during swimming using sunscreen on pig skin, we saw changes in Zn2+ release accompanying changes in water temperature, submersion duration and due to different formulations. To test toxicity, we exposed embryos to varying levels of ZnO sunscreens during development and observed the morphologies at the pluteus stage. Early exposure to ZnO sunscreens cause abnormalities typical of those observed in embryos exposed to Zn2+ during development. Additionally, we used fluorescent probes to quantify the levels of Zn2+ internalized, the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced, and the functional ability of the multidrug resistant transporters within the treated embryos. The combination of these assays will contribute to our understanding of how increased levels of internalized Zn2+ released by sunscreens can affect marine organisms.
