Concerns raised over chemicals found in sunscreen making their way into the bloodstream

There are concerns we might be taking in high levels of active ingredients and chemicals found in sunscreen without knowing about the impact, according to researchers in the US.

Researchers tested six of the main active ingredients in sunscreens and found more are being taken into our bloodstream than ever before.

Professor Bruce Armstrong AM, Adjunct Professor in the School of Global and Population Health at Uni of WA, told Ross and John they are not common chemicals.

“They are not known to be harmful, but they haven’t been sufficiently tested to be able to say ‘okay, using these this length of time and in this level in the blood is safe’. That’s basically the problem,” he said.

“They are getting into the bloodstream in levels that were unexpected and we just can’t answer at this stage whether that’s safe or not.”

While it’s a good thing more people are using sunscreen than ever before, researchers believe more work needs to be done to establish the effects.

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