Some of Australia\u2019s biggest sunscreen brands are affected \u2013 including sunscreen products such as Cancer Council Classic, Invisible Zinc Junior and Body sunscreens and Woolworths Clear Zinc. One company Mukti has recalled its affected product in response to the revelations.<\/p>\n
The products all contain ZinClear IM, manufactured by Australian sunscreen ingredient manufacturer Antaria. Friends of the Earth has launched an ACCC complaint accusing the company of misleading and deceptive conduct for marketing this ingredient as \u201cnon nano\u201d, despite it being a nanomaterial. A range of other organisations have backed the complaint, including the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Public Health Association of Australia, the Australian Education Union and the Community and Public Services Union.<\/p>\n
Dr Gregory Crocetti from Friends of the Earth\u2019s Nanotechnology Project says \u201cConsumers are understandably concerned about the potential health risks of untested nano-ingredients in sunscreens. This is why many companies have chosen to market their sunscreens as nano-free. This scandal creates a crisis in consumer confidence \u2013 with even Australia\u2019s most trusted brands such as the Cancer Council not knowing what is in their products.\u201d<\/p>\n
Research by the National Measurement Institute (NMI) released earlier this year showed that a number of Australian sunscreen products that used ZinClear IM contained nanomaterials. Importantly, the independent tests by NMI were much more rigorous than the laser light scattering measuring techniques used by companies including Antaria - which do not differentiate between bulk particles and clumps of nanoparticles (acknowledged as nanomaterials under both Australian and international definitions). Closer investigation of product information and patents by NMI for Friends of the Earth has now substantiated these results.*<\/p>\n
\u201cAlarmingly little research has been conducted into the health risks associated with nano-ingredients in sunscreen. However there are growing health concerns among scientists and skin specialists, including fears that nano-ingredients in sunscreens could lead to cancer,\u201d Dr Crocetti says.<\/p>\n
\u201cDermatologists and toxicologists have made public warnings that people with damaged skin, young children, and people who use sunscreens very regularly are at greater risk of exposure to nanomaterials and should avoid using nano-sunscreens. It is deeply concerning that people trying to avoid nano-ingredients have been misled in this way.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is fantastic that Mukti has taken proactive action to protect consumers by recalling its affected product.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this scandal causes greater public concern around the safety of sunscreens, it is due to the Federal Government\u2019s failure to regulate the use of nano-ingredients in sunscreen. If the Government had made the testing and labelling of nano-ingredients compulsory for companies we would never be in this mess.<\/p>\n
\u201cEurope and New Zealand are moving towards the regulation of nano-ingredients in sunscreens and Australia should do the same,\u201d Dr Crocetti concludes.<\/p>\n
* Friends of the Earth commissioned an expert opinion from the National Measurement Institute (NMI), which concludes:<\/p>\n
It is the opinion of the National Measurement Institute (NMI) that the \u201cmesoporous zinc oxide powder\u201d described in Patent US 2010\/0310871 A1 is a \u201cnanomaterial\u201d according to International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) technical specifications and an \u201cindustrial nanomaterial\u201d as defined in the Australian Government National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (\u201cNICNAS\u201d) document \u201cGuidance on new chemical requirements for Notification of Industrial Nanomaterials.\u201d<\/p>\n
** Perth-based manufacturer Antaria Limited has repeatedly made claims that ZinClear-IM is not a nanomaterial - including words such as \u201cnot a nano-material\u201d and \u201cmicron sized (non-nano)\u201d\u2013to its customers and the Australian stockmarket.<\/p>\n
Source: Friends of the Earth<\/p>\n