Beach-goers lather on sun cream on a daily basis to protect their skin from harmful UVB rays.
As well as stopping your skin from burning, the cream or oil helps to guard against more harmful effects of the sun, such as skin cancer.
However, a study has suggested that the use of sun cream could be endangering coral reefs.
Some countries have introduced a ban on certain sunscreens that contain chemicals linked to coral damage to mitigate against the corals being more susceptible to bleaching.
Researchers from the University of Tehran and the US looked at how sunscreen could be dispersed by currents off the Iranian island of Kish — a popular destination for tourists.
Looking at three beaches on the east of Kish — Women’s Beach, Men’s Beach and Coral Beach — they calculated that it could take as long as two days or more to flush out pollutants.
The sunscreen pollution in nearshore coastal reefs can be very damaging. One of the things this sunscreen can cause is coral reef bleaching.
Dr Craig Downs,
Haereticus Environmental Laboratory
If beaches are visited each day, corals may be continuously exposed to potentially harmful sunscreen chemicals.
“If people show up day after day, the total amount will begin to accumulate and get higher,” said Dr Craig Downs, executive director of the US non-profit organisation Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, and one of the paper’s authors.
“People assume the solution to pollution is dilution. That’s not always the case with these very popular mass tourism areas.”
Published online last month after being presented at a conference earlier this year, the research was not based on actual measurements of sunscreen contamination in the waters around Kish, which is about 10 miles wide.
Dr Downs said the University of Tehran researchers were currently taking such records to refine their model, which found that pollution could linger at Women’s Beach for about 30 hours, at Men’s Beach for around 17 hours and at Coral Beach for 48 hours.
“The dose makes the poison. The University of Tehran is going out to sample so they can determine if those concentrations can be dangerous,” added Dr Downs.
Sunscreen chemicals end up in the sea not just from being washed off swimmers. Substances are absorbed through the skin and end up in sewage systems, while contamination also comes from sunscreen washed off in beachside or hotel showers.
“The sunscreen pollution in near-shore coastal reefs can be very damaging,” said Dr Downs. “One of the things this sunscreen can cause is coral reef bleaching.
“A bigger effect is coral reef zombies (which look healthy but cannot reproduce). It may take them 15 to 20 years to fade away. We know they're fading away because they’re not reproductively viable.”
Very low threat
Not all academics see sunscreen as a major threat. Dr Nial Wheate, an associate professor at the University of Sydney who has researched the subject, described the threat to coral reefs from sunscreen as “very low to insignificant”.
“There is clear evidence that changes in sea temperatures, light levels and other sources of pollution [like shipping and run-off from land] are the major contributors to coral damage,” said Dr Wheate, whose other roles include being chief scientific officer of Vairea Skincare and a sunscreen agents panel member for Standards Australia.
“As organic molecules, it is unlikely that sunscreen molecules would accumulate in corals.
“It is well established that the active ingredients in sunscreens break down upon exposure to UV (sun) light and there is no reason to think that natural degradation would not occur in corals as well.”
Dr Downs, however, said concentrations of chemicals at some locations could be “orders of magnitude” higher than those known to have toxic effects on coral larvae.
He also said chemicals could work alongside climate change by making it harder for reefs to recover from bleaching events, which typically involve corals, in response to high temperatures, expelling the algae that normally live inside them and provide food.
“If you have these climate change events and this persistent sunscreen pollution, it will all die off and nothing comes back,” Dr Downs said.
Some sun creams banned
Some countries have banned sunscreens containing chemicals linked to coral damage.
A ban on sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate took effect in Hawaii in 2021, while Thailand announced a ban at the country’s marine national parks.
Dr Downs said studies had already shown that oxybenzone levels had dropped in Hawaii and, although it was too early to say if corals were recovering, algal growth had increased.
Warming and high salinity are the main threats to Gulf coral reefs, according to Prof Charles Sheppard, of the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick in the UK.
“All over now, the reckoning is that coral reefs as functioning systems are only going to be around for a few more decades. Already half of Gulf reefs are dead rubble,” said Prof Sheppard, who is the author of Coral Reefs: A Natural History.
Coastal development, such as shoreline construction and the building of ports and islands, has also damaged many reefs in the Gulf, he said, through sediment dredging and direct landfill on top of reefs.
“Safeguards cost a bit of money but when you don’t enforce them the cost to society is much greater in the end,” he said
Sunscreen could be “the nail in the coffin” for the Gulf’s reefs, he said, although the focus should be on cutting CO2 emissions and controlling building and waste discharges.
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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From exhibitions to the battlefield
In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.
It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.
It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.
It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Company%20profile
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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