Effects of the UV Filter Octocrylene and Its Degradation Product Benzophenone on Pacific Oyster (

Summary

At environmentally relevant concentrations, octocrylene and benzophenone perturbed key early-life processes in Pacific oyster, highlighting risks to marine recruitment and ecosystem resilience. The work underscores the need to evaluate sunscreen UV filters and their metabolites beyond adult organisms.

Key Findings

• Octocrylene and benzophenone at 1–100 µg/L disrupted sensitive early-life processes in a keystone marine invertebrate.
• Findings emphasize assessing both parent UV filters and degradation products when evaluating environmental safety.
• Geared toward realistic exposure scenarios, strengthening relevance for risk assessment.

Clinical Implications

Supports counseling patients on reef-safe sunscreens and encourages consideration of alternative filters with lower ecotoxicity, aligning dermatologic recommendations with One Health principles.

Limitations

• Abstract-level details on specific endpoints and species are truncated; full methodological parameters are not available here.
• Single-species study limits generalizability across taxa and ecosystems.

Future Directions

Extend to multispecies, community-level studies; compare alternative UV filters; integrate mixture exposures and chronic, transgenerational endpoints.