Following a reblog concerning microbeads, I've decided to do a little research about it.
Microbeads - What are these?
Microbeads are little plastic balls ranging from 0.5 to 500 micrometers in diameter. It is made out of a polymer of polypropylene, and upon manufacturing, microbeads are usually attached with biomolecules, such as ligands, DNA/RNA, proteins, and antigens, among others.
Microbeads are often used in cosmetics and personal care products - toothpastes, shaving cream, exfoliating scrubs etc. It has been found that microbeads may constitute up to 10% of a product's volume.
Many waste treatment facilities are not capable of filtering microbeads due to their small size, thus they still persist in waste water leaving the facility.
According to Beat the Microbead, a movement dedicated to reduce and finally eliminate the use of microbeads, these particles have been found in the waters of lakes and oceans, even as far as the North Pole. Ocean currents can carry them thousands of mile away from its source.
Also, microbeads can be ingested by aquatic life, which can, in turn, accumulate in their body and afterwards consumed by humans who eat them. Albeit small, researchers have found that alongside degrading plastic fiber, microbead pollution in the oceans is rapidly increasing, thus calling for the reduction and removal of the use of microbeads.
Aside from supporting companies that produce natural, biodegradable, and green cosmetic products, there are various NGO's that do seminars and various programs in the campaign against microbeads in cosmetics.
Among them are:
Plastic Soup Foundation
Stichting de Nordzee
Flora and Fauna International
5 Gyres
Clean Coasts - Irelands
For more information regarding microbeads, visit beatthemicrobead.org.
gummygunk
kianamaiart
origamiaround
romaincrisis
andulkaphoto
