In a study published in Environmental Science and Technology, researchers examined the effects of two common sunscreen ingredients—octocrylene and oxybenzone—on the long-term survival of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. The researchers found that the fleas exposed to the sunscreen ingredients had a significantly higher mortality rate than those not exposed, indicating that the sunscreen ingredients could have long-term adverse effects on flea populations. This is particularly concerning given the fact that fleas are major carriers of diseases, including plague and murine typhus, and can cause skin irritation in humans.

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source: Phys.org