Characterisation, quantity and sorptive properties of microplastics extracted from cosmetics
Napper IE, Bakir A, Rowland SJ, Thompson RC (2015). Marine Pollution Bulletin.
What they found
Polyethylene microbeads extracted from facial scrubs had mean diameters of 164–327 µm, and between 4,594 and 94,500 beads could be released in a single use. In seawater the beads picked up phenanthrene and DDT much like other polyethylene particles, so they could carry pollutants.
- Sample
- Several facial scrub products
- What it can't tell you
- Several products from before microbead bans. Release per use is estimated from product content, not measured down the drain. Sorption tested with two chemicals in the lab. An environmental-source study; it says nothing about human exposure from skin contact.
- Funding
- Not checked (full text inaccessible).
- Topics
- Personal care, Environment
- Checked against
- Abstract (Europe PMC, PMID 26234612)