SEMINAR: Human & Environmental Impact of Sunscreens Usage

You are invited to attend a special seminar by Dr. Charles A Menzie who chaired the recent National Academies report on this topic.

This is being arranged as a special online seminar jointly between UMBC’s Dept. of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering and CUERE and made accessible to the larger community.

Concerns have been raised about the potential toxicity of sunscreens to a variety of marine and freshwater aquatic organisms, particularly corals. At the same time, there are concerns that people will use less sunscreen rather than substituting sunscreens with UV filters that are considered environmentally safe. This study will review the state of science on use of currently marketed sunscreen ingredients, their fate and effects in aquatic environments, and the potential public health implications associated with changes in sunscreen usage. An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chaired by Dr. Charles A Menzie reviewed the state of science on use of sunscreen ingredients that are currently marketed in the United States, their fates and effects in aquatic environments (focusing on U.S. aquatic environments but with consideration of international studies) and the potential public health implications associated with reduced use. For this review, UV filters were considered broadly in terms of active ingredients and formulations. The final report was published last year and is available for download using the link in the title above.

 

Charles A. Menzie (Chair) is principal and former practice director at Exponent, Inc. He was global executive director for the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) from 2014 to 2020. He specializes in the application of ecological and human health risk assessment and causal analysis methods for evaluating the potential for effects and for diagnosing the causes of environmental harms and damages. His technical expertise includes the evaluation of the environmental fate and effects of physical, biological, and chemical stressors on terrestrial and aquatic systems. He has applied his expertise to situations involving nutrient enrichment, chemical contamination, use of pesticides and other chemical products, oil and gas operations, fossil fuel and nuclear power plants, alternative energy projects, mining, invasive species, water management, and vulnerability assessments for climate change. As part of his risk assessment practice, he has developed exposure and food web models to evaluate how people and ecological receptors may be exposed to a variety of chemicals. These include several spatially-explicit models used to refine exposure estimates. He previously served on the National Academies Committee on the Bioavailability of Contaminants in Soils and Sediments. Dr. Menzie has a B.S. in Biology from Manhattan College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Biology from City University of New York.