Bioaccumulation and toxicological effects of uv-filters on marine species

Abstract

UV-filters are of emerging concern and their toxicity has been demonstrated in many papers. Organic and mineral UV-filters are active ingredients found in sunscreens. Due to the presence of UV-filters in marine waters, studies on these compounds bioaccumulating in organisms have been carried out, and this has been complemented by toxicity studies, with reports of detrimental effects to a variety of organisms. This chapter gives an overview of the bioaccumulation and the toxicity of sunscreen UV-filters on marine species. The toxicity of both inorganic and organic UV-filters is summarized as well as their bioaccumulation in marine biota. Ecotoxicological effects of UV-filters suffer from a lack of standardization across studies. We highlighted the difficulties to make comparisons between studies and emphasize a need for harmonization.