Environmental group warns of dangerous sunscreen

By Fabian Di Lizia

A group of David Hasselhoff impersonators demonstrated outside a federal minister’s office to raise awareness about harmful sunscreens.

The 20-strong mob surrounded Health and Ageing Minister, Tanya Plibersek’s Broadway office on Wednesday morning as part of a stunt organised by environmental group Friends of the Earth.

A spokesperson for the group, Dr Gregory Crocetti said they wanted to highlight research by CSIRO, Macquarie University and the Australasian Journal of Dermatology that suggested sunscreens made of “nanoparticles” like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide could alter DNA and damage cells when they are rubbed into skin.

Dr Crocetti said the demonstrators chose to impersonate David Hasselhoff because he is an icon of beach safety.

“After years of government inaction, today we’ve called The Hoff to help save us from a new threat on the beach: untested, unlabelled nano-sunscreens.”

The group presented Ms Plibersek with a 1000-signature petition which called for government regulation of nanoparticle sunscreens, similar to existing regulations in the European Union that notify consumers of nanoparticles.

“At the very least we should be seeing labelling of nanoparticle sunscreens. In this way Australians can make an informed choice. We should have the same level of protection as Europeans,” Dr Crocetti said.

However, the Department downplayed the potential hazards of nanoparticle sunscreens. “There is currently no evidence to suggest that sunscreen products which incorporate nanotechnologies pose greater safety risks than conventional products,” a spokesperson said. “It is not a requirement for sunscreen labels to declare the particle size of the active ingredients.”

The spokesperson said the lack of safety risks from nanoparticle sunscreens meant current regulations were satisfactory.

Local support for Friends of the Earth’s activism remains solid. Greens MP John Kaye of the NSW Legislative Council commended Wednesday’s event..

“Friends of the Earth have courageously dressed up as the beach safety icon David Hasselhoff to show the state and federal governments [that] people are very worried about the health impacts of nanoparticles in their sunscreen,” Mr Kaye said.

The Greens called for Minister Plibersek and NSW Minister for Health Jillian Skinner to work together to regulate and label nanoparticle sunscreens.