High vulnerability of jellyfish ephyras (Aurelia aurita) and copepods (Calanoids) to understudied organic UV filters: A multi-trophic ecotoxicological assessment
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Organic ultraviolet filters have become a growing concern in coastal environments, yet our understanding of their toxicity remains surprisingly uneven. While some compounds like benzophenone have been studied extensively, others that are increasingly used in sunscreens such as octisalate (EHS) and ethylhexyl triazone (EHT) have received little attention. Even less is known about how these substances affect marine species that are not part of standard toxicity testing. To address these gaps, this work combined a systematic review following the PRISMA approach with a series of acute toxicity tests across five marine species: the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum, the crustaceans Artemia franciscana, Calanoids sp. and Gammarus sp., and ephyras of the jellyfish Aurelia aurita and five organic UV filters were tested (avobenzone, octocrylene, octisalate, ethylhexyl triazone, and UV-326) along with three commercial sunscreen formulations. The literature review confirmed that research has been heavily skewed toward benzophenone and inorganic filters, while EHS and EHT together account for only 13% of the studies. Octisalate proved to be highly toxic to both A. aurita (EC50 48h = 2.1 mg/L) and Calanoids sp. (EC50 48h = 4.3 mg/L). Octocrylene also showed considerable toxicity, particularly in A. franciscana (EC50 48h = 23.8 mg/L), and caused noticeable behavioural issues in jellyfish ephyras, which struggled to pulse normally. When we tested commercial sunscreens, they generally turned out to be less toxic than the pure compounds, suggesting that the other ingredients in these formulations might limit how much of the UV filters are available to cause harm.
Source: Marine Pollution Bulletin
Institutions: Universidad Europea de Valencia, Universitat de València
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,740
OpenAlex ID: W7168268793