**1. Introduction**

Benzophenones are organic compounds used in a variety of personal-care products for their abilities to absorb UV-B wavelengths coming from the sun. Oxybenzone avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate are all used in conventional sunscreens and other topical, personal-care products to prevent damage from the sun's UV rays. Between 6000 and 14,000 tons of sunscreen lotion, much of which contains between 1 and 10% benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone), are estimated to be released onto coral reef areas each year [1]. Concern over oxybenzone arose when a study reported that 1–2% was absorbed by the skin immediately after application [2]. Application to the epidermis is not the only mode for absorption. A German study reported traces of oxybenzone in breast milk of mammals e.g., [3]. Since oxybenzone is a photo-toxicant, its negative effects are activated and exacerbated by light [4]. Soon after reacting with light oxybenzone goes through rapid oxidation causing inactivation of antioxidants and a negative impact on the skin's overall homeostasis [5]. Oxybenzone can induce photoactivated and non-photo-activated contact dermatitis, contact cheilitis, uticaria, and anaphylactoid allergic reactions e.g., [6]. In addition, oxybenzone, and other sunscreen chemicals, act to suppress the immune system [7].

Benzophenones put approximately 40% of coral reefs located along coastal areas, with at least 10% of reefs overall, at risk of exposure [1]. Oxybenzone has been found to cause environmental concerns such as bleaching of symbiotic dinoflagellates from corals [8,9], failure of larvae to settle [10], and increased mortality of corals [9–11] and fish [12,13]. Research has shown correlations
