Ever wondered if your sunscreens were being made from squid and octopus skin? Here’s how researchers at Northeastern University have found ways to create new, environment-friendly sunscreens. Sunscreens are basically of two types: chemical based and physical based sunscreens, which are usually titanium dioxide or zinc oxide based.
Internally, recent data shows that the chemical UV filters are accumulating in our bloodstream and circulating throughout our body. Considering the marine eco-system, while washing off the sunscreen, it penetrates through the ocean water and settles down. Sources claim that over 8,000 tons of sunscreen are all over the ocean right now. Hence to figure out a way to solve this problem the researchers at Northeastern decided to develop new types of sunscreens that are safe for the environment.
Camille Martin, a Doctoral Student at Northeastern University and a member of the Northeastern’s Biomaterials Design Group says, “Everyone should wear sunscreen every day and not just during the summer. But when you have to choose what sunscreens to use, I would recommend choosing those that have physical UV filters.”
Camille says that at the Biomaterials Design Group, they study a class of organisms called the cephalopods which includes octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. During their study and research, they were able to see that the pigments in the skin of cephalopods were able to absorb UV radiation.
Talking about this initiative Leila Deravi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern says, “We’re thinking it’s a quite promising pathway to start looking at new alternative safer UV filters.”