Microbeads in the Great Lakes
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A tiny product is causing a big problem in the Great Lakes. "Microbeads" are tiny particles of plastic used in hundreds of cosmetics and personal care products such as facial scrubs, soaps, and toothpaste. These microbeads, typically used as abrasives and exfoliants, are flowing by the billions into the Great Lakes and other waterways. Consumers end up discharging these tiny pieces of plastic into waterways when they wash off products containing microbeads. Because of their small size and buoyancy, wastewater treatment plants are not able to filter them out and they are discharged directly into our rivers and lakes. Once discharged, there are no known methods to effectively remove microplastics or microbeads from the environment.
Typically, microplastics are defined as plastic pieces measuring less than 5 millimeters (mm). The microbeads found in personal care products are almost always smaller than 1 mm. These micro particles are made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and nylon. Microbeads of polyethylene or polypropylene are the most common. These microbeads, while extremely small, are used in large quantities. The 5 Gyres Institute, an organization dedicated to understanding plastic pollution, found that one product can contain over 300,000 microbeads. Research by the Institute for Environmental Studies found that a 200 ml bottle contained as much as 21 grams of microplastics, or roughly a tenth of its weight. |
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Photo: Alliance of the Great Lakes
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Beginning in 2012, a research team that included scientists from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia and The 5 Gyres Institute began sampling the Great Lakes to better understand plastic pollution in our most treasured resource. The recent research to collect data on the prevalence of plastics in the lakes is showing alarming results. Lake Michigan had an average of 17,000 microbeads per square kilometer. The levels were much lower in Lake Huron and Lake Superior, but Lake Erie and Lake Ontario had much higher concentrations. Lake Ontario's levels are highest, with counts of up to 1.1 million plastic particles per square kilometer.
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The microbeads have the potential to cause harm to Great Lakes aquatic species. The microbeads are about the same size as many fish eggs, which means that they can look like food. Fish such as yellow perch or turtles and seagulls are unable to distinguish between food and microbeads and, therefore, feed on microbead plastics. SUNY Fredonia researchers performing food web surveys are finding plastic in the stomach of some Great Lakes fish species, including perch. If fish or birds eat the inert beads, the material can deprive them of nutrients from real food or get lodged in their stomachs or intestines, blocking digestive systems.
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Additionally, the microbeads are not biodegradable and the petroleum in the plastic serves as a magnet for other pollutants in the environment like DDT, PCBs, flame-retardants, and other industrial chemicals. Because these microbeads easily attract and absorb toxins, the beads are potentially toxic to any wildlife that eats them. The toxins from the beads can also accumulate in fish and wildlife, even potentially reaching humans who eat wildlife around the Great Lakes region.
The only way to stop the threat from microplastics is to prevent them from entering the ecosystem - to stop the use of the plastic microbeads in consumer products. Since plastic microbeads are not an essential ingredient in personal care products, this can be achieved voluntarily with companies choosing to replace plastic abrasives with alternatives or by prohibiting the sale of products containing microbeads. |
Photo: www.5 Gyres.org
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On December 28, 2015, President Obama signed the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015. As a result, the manufacturing of plastic microbeads will stop by July 1, 2017, and the sale of new cosmetic products containing microbeads will end by July 1, 2018.
While the federal ban on cosmetic microbeads in the United States will eliminate one source of plastic pollution in our waterways, it’s not a complete fix. The new law bans “rinse-off” products, but it doesn’t cover microbeads in deodorants, lotions, or make-up. In addition, it doesn’t apply to other plastic pollution in our lakes including larger pieces of plastic which can splinter over time into increasingly tiny pieces or microfibers. More work will be needed to address other plastic pollution in our waters.
While the federal ban on cosmetic microbeads in the United States will eliminate one source of plastic pollution in our waterways, it’s not a complete fix. The new law bans “rinse-off” products, but it doesn’t cover microbeads in deodorants, lotions, or make-up. In addition, it doesn’t apply to other plastic pollution in our lakes including larger pieces of plastic which can splinter over time into increasingly tiny pieces or microfibers. More work will be needed to address other plastic pollution in our waters.
Photo: www.5Gyres.com
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