Sunscreen fines of millions of won? Here's why some beaches ban it

A beachgoer applies sunscreen to her legs. [Getty Images Bank]

Fined millions of won just for wearing sunscreen at the beach?

As the summer heat sets in, one product is flying off shelves: sunscreen, the go-to shield against the blazing sun.

Beaches and coastal areas see the heaviest sunscreen use of any setting — with swimmers reapplying after every dip, going through an entire tube in a single day is not uncommon.

But not every coastline operates by the same rules as South Korea. In some destinations, including Thailand, applying sunscreen at certain beaches can result in fines reaching into the millions of won.

Beachgoers cool off at Haeundae Beach in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the first weekend after the beach opened Sunday. [Yonhap]

The reason: ingredients widely used in sunscreens dissolve into seawater and cause marine pollution.

This is not pollution on the level of littering. Those ingredients have been found to act as a virtual poison for corals, which play a decisive role in sustaining marine ecosystems.

Not all sunscreens contain ocean-harmful ingredients. UV filters are divided into organic and inorganic types. The problem lies with the organic, or chemical, UV-filtering compounds — specifically oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor.

A beachgoer applies sunscreen to her arm. [Getty Images Bank]

Oxybenzone is the most frequently cited offender. Research by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that oxybenzone acts as an endocrine disruptor that damages coral DNA. The compound accumulates in coral tissue, triggering bleaching or causing the death of juvenile corals.

Some argue that the small amount of sunscreen rinsed off a person's skin cannot cause significant harm. But a report by the International Coral Reef Initiative estimates that between 6,000 and 14,000 metric tons of sunscreen enter the ocean every year.

A coral reef showing signs of bleaching. [Provided by ICRI]

Analysts estimate that when 1,000 visitors swim at a single beach wearing sunscreen, more than 35 kilograms of sunscreen compounds can enter the marine environment in a single day. The amount from any one individual may be small, but the cumulative load from all beachgoers can add up to a significant impact.

Even trace amounts of oxybenzone can harm marine ecosystems. A single drop dissolved in 16,250 tons of water is enough to have harmful effects on corals and other marine life.

The death of corals damaged by sunscreen can trigger the collapse of entire surrounding marine ecosystems. About one-third of all marine species discovered by humanity depend on corals at some point in their survival. The UN Environment Programme notes that coral reefs cover less than 1 percent of the ocean floor yet support at least 25 percent of all marine species.

Coral bleaching — a crisis in which corals die from heat stress — is already a global problem driven by climate change, with 84 percent of the world's coral reefs having been exposed to thermal stress. If sunscreen runoff further degrades their living conditions, experts warn, the ecological damage from bleaching could accelerate.

Beachgoers crowd the beach area in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, on a hot Saturday. [Yonhap]

Given these concerns, some beaches abroad have banned the use or entry of sunscreens containing harmful ingredients altogether. Since 2021, Thailand has prohibited sunscreens containing oxybenzone and similar compounds from marine national parks, imposing fines of up to 100,000 baht — 4.6 million won ($2,980) — on violators.

The measures remain in force. Authorities have continued to warn tourists visiting popular marine national parks such as Maya Bay and the Phi Phi Islands that fines can and will be enforced. Visitors are also strictly required to stay at least two meters from coral reefs and are prohibited from touching or stepping on them.

The US Virgin Islands has classified oxybenzone and two other compounds as "Toxic 3 Os" and banned their import, sale and retail distribution, as well as their use and possession. Violations carry fines of up to $1,000. Hawaii has also enacted a statewide ban on the sale and distribution for sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Most countries, including South Korea, still maintain regulations that only cap ingredient concentrations at certain levels. Even those rules are designed around human health standards, with little to no consideration of environmental impact. As a result, many UV protection products on the market still contain ingredients harmful to corals.

Foreign tourists take photos on the beach at Haeundae Beach in Busan, one day before its official opening on Thursday. [Yonhap]

In a 2018 citizen-monitoring survey, the environmental group Green Korea United checked commercially available sunscreens for harmful ingredients and found that 47 of 79 products — nearly 60 percent — contained at least one such compound.

In response, some cosmetics companies, including major conglomerates, have developed and begun distributing "reef-safe" products formulated without marine-polluting ingredients. For now, however, the burden largely falls on beachgoing consumers to check ingredient labels themselves.

"Manufacturers should fulfill their social responsibility to the environment by producing products free of harmful ingredients," a Green Korea United official said. "Consumers also need to drive change among producers by choosing products that contain no ingredients harmful to ecosystems."

woo@heraldcorp.com