Microbeads in your face wash may be the cause of the next dead fish. As innocent as the activity of washing your face seems, it could have a significant negative impact on the our beloved aquatic ecosystems. According to a study published in Marine Pollution Biology, these tiny, in-disposable pieces of abrasive plastic are polluting the Great Lakes and killing the wild life. This study found 600,000 plastic microbeads in two different samples taken from Lake Erie.
After slipping down your bathroom sink, the particles are too small for water treatment facilities to filter out and in turn, the "deep exfoliates" are ending up deep in the bellies of our fishy friends. The problem expands from there when the food chain comes into play. As the bottom dwelling critters and small fish ingest the plastic beads, bigger animals such as turtles and birds are effected, depriving them of nutrients and damaging their digestive tracks.
In response to this growing issue cosmetic companies such as the Body Shop, L'Oreal, and Johnson & Johnson have all agreed to swap out their microbead products for products that use organic materials, so if your looking for a place to start, these are some safe alternatives to aid in a solution.
So wake up to a friendlier face (& body!) wash and help preserve our aquatic ecosystems.
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