It seems the most concern is focused on whether the next tourist season will be abundant or not.

It played havoc on the wildlife for longer

This was an accident. Hopefully it will illuminate how we purposely kill our oceans with a daily barage of poisonous run off and cancer causing elements for our sealife. Poor land management results in destroying a thousand times more natural habitat than this one event and we gleefully participate with development and redirecting the normal course of nature.
If awareness is heightend by the result of this accident then some good will come of it in the form of doing something with the things that we can make a difference about

AUSTRALIANS are risking their lives by shunning sun protection because of fears some block-out creams contain potentially dangerous chemicals, the NSW Cancer Council warns.

Several Australian academics have questioned the safety of nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, used in many Australian sunscreens.

Peter Dingle, an associate professor and researcher in health and the environment at Murdoch University, said chemicals used in sunscreen might cause anything from skin rashes to breast cancer.

And Dr Tom Faunce, of the Australian National University's law and medical school, has raised concerns about how easily the chemicals are absorbed by the body.

CSIRO scientist Maxine McCall, who is researching the effects of nanoparticles in sunscreen, said there was potential for the chemicals to damage DNA.

"Potentially, the nanoparticles could cause anything from changes to the chromosomes to, in the worst-case scenario, cancer," she said. "Then again, there could be no biological impact whatsoever. The point is, we just don't know."

The experts are concerned with the use of nanotechnology in manufacturing sunscreens. Chemicals are broken down into nanoparticles - less than one millionth of a millimetre in diameter - to make the cream invisible on the skin.

Because the particles are so tiny, academics believe they can enter the body and interact with proteins in the cells or with DNA.

A recent NSW Parliamentary inquiry concluded that nano versions of existing chemicals should be assessed as new chemicals. The inquiry also recommended that "ingredient labelling requirements for sunscreens and cosmetics include the identification of nano-scale materials".

But in Australia there is no requirement for sunscreen manufacturers to label their nanotechnology products. The regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, said sunscreens with nanotechnology had been used safely in Australia since 1990 and "the risks of excessive sun exposure are well-documented and outweigh the unproven theoretical risks related to nanoparticles". About 70percent of sunscreens with titanium dioxide and 30percent with zinc oxide have these materials in nanoparticle form.

Spokeswoman Kay McNeice said the authority was "looking closely at the recommendations of the NSW Parliamentary inquiry". However, the Cancer Council has urged people to continue using sunscreen.

"Nanotechnology has been around for a long time and there have been no reports suggesting any adverse effects and no research which has determined it is unsafe or harmful," the council's skin cancer prevention manager Kay Coppa said.

"At the moment 1600 people die from skin cancer every year. It is almost entirely preventable. It is a lot more harmful to stop wearing sunscreen. The Cancer Council is very concerned that people will stop using sunscreen because they think that it's dangerous when there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that that is the case," she said.

Dr Dingle said he was not urging people to stop using sunscreen.

"I am telling people to use safer products or simply cover up if they have to go out in the sun," he said.



Slip, slop, slap message still the one
LARA and Sandy Hogg are determined to protect their one-year-old son, Alastair, from sun damage.

"I rock on with using sunscreen," said Mrs Hogg, of Randwick, during a family outing to Clovelly Beach. "It's safer than using none at all."

Mr Hogg said that until any problems associated with lotions had been proved, "we'll still be using sunscreen".

"We're never at the beach without an umbrella, tent, hat, loads of sunscreen - the works."

The Hamiltons, of Glenwood, are also devotees of sunscreen.

"I lost a cousin to melanoma, and another one was treated for it. I tend to burn easily as well," Jason said at Clovelly Beach.

His wife, Karen, said: "The kids don't burn that easily but we've always tried to cover them up with sunscreen. We used to get them to wear rashies as kids but they won't let us now."

Their daughter, Laura, 18, said the risk of skin cancer outweighed the risks of chemicals, "especially if nothing's been proven yet".

Caris Bizzaca

What You Need to Know About Sunscreen
Sunscreen, is as much a part of summer, as beach days and pool parties and is an essential part of any summer kit. With our South African sun we can’t afford not to use sunscreen but there are some surprising and disturbing facts about the chemicals we are rubbing on ourselves.

Doctors and dermatologists have worked hard to instill the mantra of “sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen” into all of us. We know it helps prevent skin cancers and premature skin ageing but do you know the effect all that sunscreen is having on our environment?

If you love to snorkel or enjoy water sports take note - the chemicals in your sunscreen, suntan oils and other products are have a negative effect on sensitive coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia has reported the rapid and even complete bleaching of hard corals even in areas exposed to low concentrations of sunscreen. Research has estimated that 4000-6000 metric tons of sunscreen washes off swimmers annually in oceans worldwide threatening roughly 10% of all coral reefs and marine life.

Unfortunately there is more bad news about our trusted sunscreens. Not only is it harming our oceans but it has a negative effect on us too. Research has even shown that sunscreen may actually have a link to the increase in skin cancers diagnosis as it gives people a false sense of security and they will indulge longer in sun exposure causing even more sun damage to their skin.

There is also something called the nano affect in sunscreens that you need to be aware of. No one likes the white stripes of sunscreen on their face so in response manufactures have produced sunscreens that are absorbed into the skin and become transparent. They are able to do this by shrinking the zinc and titanium particles down to nano-size. The problem here is that these particles are small enough to be absorbed past the skin’s barriers and even into the blood-steam. Titanium and zinc are two chemicals you really don’t want absorbed into your skin.

So if you still want to be kind to your skin, and the environment, there really is only one option when replenishing your sunscreen for beach days, pool side laziness, bike rides and hikes this summer – go green.

When greening your sunscreen, look for mineral based sun blocks that aim for transparency, without the nano-particles. These have healthier chemical components than their chemical based counterparts and will protect against both UVA and UVB sunrays. Chemical based sunscreens have also been linked to hormonal changes and DNA damages. Also steer clear of petroleum based sunscreens. Rather choose those with natural ingredients such as jojoba oil or shea and cocoa butter. Look for Dr. Hauschka, Green People, imported by Strawberry International and Health in Nature brands or read your ingredients carefully before purchasing the sunscreen.

Remember to store your sunscreen in a cool place, leaving it in your hot car all day will destroy the chemical compound and leave your sunscreen ineffective.

Here’s to long lazy ‘green’ summer days with braai’s by the pool, family hikes, outdoor picnics and days at the beach – just don’t forget the eco-friendly sunscreen, your skin and the environment will thank-you for it.

http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2008/12/is-your-sunsc-1.html
Is your sunscreen dangerous?
Dec 16, 2008
The slip, slop, slap message has probably been one of the more sucessful public health campaigns in recent years.

We all know how important it is to protect our skin from the sun... but could slopping on sunscreen actually be bad for you?

Dr Peter Dingle, an environmental toxicologist from Murdoch University, has released a report (the ABC takes no responsibility for this external site) which highlights that most sunscreen uses old technology. He says safer ingredients include zinc oxide which is much more photostable than titanium dioxide, plant based oils, green tea extract and vitamin E.

According to Dr Dingle, only active ingredients are required to be listed for sunscreen but some of the more toxic components to be aware of -

Avobenzone, Parsol 1789 (butyl methoxy dibenzoylmethane) Benzophenones

Cinoxate (2-ethoxy ethyl p-methoxycinnamate) Dibenzoylmethanes

Escalol 506 (amyl dimethyl para aminobenzoate) Escalol 507 (octyl dimethyl para aminobenzoate)

Ethoxy ethyl-p-methoxy cinamate (Giv-Tan F) Eusolex 8020 (isopropyl dibenzoyl methane)

Homosalate Hydroxy methoxy methylbenzophenone (mexenone) Menadione Methyl sinapate (methyl 3,5-dimethoxy 4- hydroxycinnamate)

Octocrylene Octyl salicylate

Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC) Oxybenzone (benzophenone 3)

PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) Padimate A (amyl para-dimethylaminobenzoate

PBSA (2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid

Psolaren Titanium dioxide

for National Geographic News

January 29, 2008
The sunscreen that you dutifully slather on before a swim on the beach may be protecting your body—but a new study finds that the chemicals are also killing coral reefs worldwide.

Four commonly found sunscreen ingredients can awaken dormant viruses in the symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that live inside reef-building coral species.

The chemicals cause the viruses to replicate until their algae hosts explode, spilling viruses into the surrounding seawater, where they can infect neighboring coral communities.

Zooxanthellae provide coral with food energy through photosynthesis and contribute to the organisms' vibrant color. Without them, the coral "bleaches"—turns white—and dies.

"The algae that live in the coral tissue and feed these animals explode or are just released by the tissue, thus leaving naked the skeleton of the coral," said study leader Roberto Danovaro of the Polytechnic University of Marche in Italy.

The researchers estimate that 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers annually in oceans worldwide, and that up to 10 percent of coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching.

The study appeared online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Activated Viruses

Danovaro and his team studied the effects of sunscreen exposure on coral samples from reefs in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

Even low levels of sunscreen, at or below the typical amount used by swimmers, could activate the algae viruses and completely bleach coral in just four days, the results showed.

Seawater surrounding coral exposed to sunscreen contained up to 15 times more viruses than unexposed samples.

Several brands of popular sunscreens were tested and all had four ingredients in common: paraben, cinnamate, benzophenone, and a camphor derivative.


Continued on Next Page >>

Apparently the reason that our television screens are not full of dead oil covered birds is that the oil is not toxic enough to kill them. In other climates it stops their feathers working as insulation and so they can’t stay warm and freeze to death; fortunately here it is just not cold enough to kill them.

The other thing that they are now worried about is the fertilizer causing an algal bloom; I don’t know what problems that would cause but it is apparently of concern.

If one thing comes out of this disaster,i hope the govenment and EPA put protocols in place to deal with situations like this and have faster reponse times than the time it took to respond to this.If they already have,they need to rethink them cos it wasn't good enough.

The other thing that they are now worried about is the fertilizer causing an algal bloom;

That's exactly what is killing our reefs.

so the trail of toxins could well be heading south, offshore and deep....away fom Qld,, as the coast goes away to the sou'west after Pt Danger.. and the current keeps heading south and out to sea..we were lucky in this regard.. saved by the sea itself?..

Apparently the reason that our television screens are not full of dead oil covered birds is that the oil is not toxic enough to kill them.

Some trivia for those that followed the 'monkey' thread: Alfalfa seeds have a density of 0.77 grams per centimeter cubed - i.e. they are nearly as dense as the stuffing of a teddy bear, and very much like the stuffing of a teddy bear they have no significant impact on their environment.

it's a dud

At last we agree on something.