Eco-friendly sunscreen sought to help protect B.C. river

A Cowichan River recreational tubing company has spent several weeks searching for eco-friendly sun protection, after learning that some sunscreens may be harming the river and wildlife in the area.

Each summer, thousands of tubers float down the river, all slathered in sunscreen.

Joe Saysell, who has lived on the Cowichan River for more than six decades, said the river has seen low water levels and fewer insect hatches than normal in recent years.

His research on the impact of sunscreen in other parts of the world led him to believe its chemicals were impacting the river's ecosystem.

That news was cause for alarm for Tube Shack ownerAaron Frisby, who said he and his staff took a "deep dive" into what specifically could be harming the area. After weeks of online research, Frisby said they may have found a solution: titanium dioxide.

"It's very much river-safe and we've partnered with a company that can supply that," he said.

Frisby, interviewed onCBC's On the Island, saidhe found oxybenzone, which is found in most major sunscreen brands, is the biggest polluter of rivers and oceans.

"It's not safe for rivers or reefs, and to be perfectly honest, not really safe to be put on bodies."

He and his staff also looked into mineral-basedzinc oxide productsbut found that nanoparticles hurtfish habitats.

Frisby says he has signed an agreement with a titanium dioxide sunscreen company so that he can provide safe, free and eco-friendly sun protection to his customers.

"The river is obviously very important to us as a business and also just for the livelihood of the community, the fish and everyone who relies on the river," he said. "If we're having an adverse effect on the river, we want to be ahead of that."

With files from On the Island and CHEK News

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