Skip to main content
  • Where to buy
  • Company
    • About us
    • Careers
    • Events
  • Support
    • Laboratory Planning
    • Register a Product
    • Register Your Product (USA & Canada Only)
  • Contact
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Italiano
  • Português
  • 日本語
  • 中文
Home ELGA LabWater
  • Products
    • PURELAB
    • CENTRA
    • MEDICA
    • BIOPURE
    • ELGA Full Product Range
  • Applications
    • Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
    • Cell and Tissue Culture
    • Clinical Biochemistry
    • Electrochemistry
    • Gas Chromatography
    • General lab water requirement
    • Immunochemistry
    • Liquid Chromatography
    • Mass Spectrometry
    • Microbiology
    • Molecular Biology
    • Spectrophotometry
  • Technologies
    • Activated Carbon
    • Electrodeionization (EDI)
    • Filtration
    • Ion Exchange
    • PureSure
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Ultraviolet
  • Impurities In Water
    • Dissolved Gases
    • Inorganic Compounds
    • Microorganisms & Bacteria
    • Organic Compounds
    • Particulates
  • Knowledge
    • Blog
    • Case Studies
    • Ultrapure water
    • Guides and White Papers
  • Products
    • PURELAB
      • PURELAB® flex 1 & 2
      • PURELAB® flex 3 & 4
    • CENTRA
      • CENTRA® 60/120
      • CENTRA® RDS
      • CENTRA® R200
    • MEDICA
      • MEDICA® 7/15
      • MEDICA® EDI 15/30
      • MEDICA® Pro EDI 60/120
      • MEDICA® Pro-LPS
      • MEDICA® Pro-R and Pro-RE
      • MEDICA® R200
    • BIOPURE
      • BIOPURE 7/15
      • BIOPURE 60/120
      • BIOPURE 200/300/600
    • ELGA Full Product Range
      • PURELAB® Classic
  • Applications
    • Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
    • Cell and Tissue Culture
    • Clinical Biochemistry
    • Electrochemistry
    • Gas Chromatography
    • General lab water requirement
    • Immunochemistry
    • Liquid Chromatography
    • Mass Spectrometry
    • Microbiology
    • Molecular Biology
    • Spectrophotometry
  • Technologies
    • Activated Carbon
    • Electrodeionization (EDI)
    • Filtration
    • Ion Exchange
    • PureSure
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Ultraviolet
  • Impurities In Water
    • Dissolved Gases
    • Inorganic Compounds
    • Microorganisms & Bacteria
    • Organic Compounds
    • Particulates
  • Knowledge
    • Blog
      • Analytical Chemistry
      • Clinical & Pharma
      • Cool Science
      • Environment and sustainability
      • Life in the lab
      • Purelab product design
      • Science of the future
      • Water Purity
      • Water in the lab
    • Case Studies
      • Abbott Diagnostics chooses ELGA MEDICA systems in South Asia
      • Beam Me Up, Scotty: PURELAB® Option Q Delivers Essential Ultra Pure Water
      • Clean Water for a Clean Future
      • Critital Tests Benefit from PURELAB® Option Reliable Pure Water
      • DASA: The biggest medical diagnostics company in Brazil
      • ELGA helps immuneserology labs maximize uptime
      • Fondazione Telethon Continues to Choose ELGA Labwater as a Trusted Partner
      • Importance of ultrapure Type 1+ water for the development of generic medicines
      • MEDICA® Pro selected for Siemens ADVIA® analyzers at City General Hospital
      • Optimale Wasserqualität für mikrobiologische Forschung und Lehre
      • PURELAB® Option R Guarantees Pure Water for Leading Microfluidics Technology
      • PURELAB® Pulse Delivers Reliable Water Quality and Quantity for a Wide Range of Applications
      • PURELAB® flex: an ideal training system for today's research method
      • Powering Cutting-Edge Gene Research
      • Sichere Reinstwasserversorgung für präzise Produkttests
      • Zentrale Reinstwasser-Aufbereitung für Analyser
      • ELGA LabWater and Beckman Coulter Join Forces
      • Applied New Technologies Department Improves ICP, IC & HPLC Sample Turnaround Times with PURELAB®
      • Unlocking the secrets of the Antarctic with the aid of ultrapure water
      • Advancing Genetic Technologies
      • Cross Infection Control: Pure and Simple
      • Researching effective new ways to prevent cardiovascular disease at the University of Columbia
    • Ultrapure water
    • Guides and White Papers
      • HPLC Water Purity
      • HPLC in Pharma
      • Reducing Clinical Risks
      • Sustainability
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Italiano
  • Português
  • 日本語
  • 中文
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Global Legal Compliance
  • Patents
  • Impressum

Let's talk about lab water

  • Categories
    • Analytical Chemistry
    • Clinical & Pharma
    • Cool Science
    • Environment & Sustainability
    • Future Science
    • Life in The Lab
    • PURELAB Product Design
    • Science of the Future
    • Water In The Lab
    • Water Purity
  • Authors
    • ELGA Editorial Team
    • Natasha Zarach
    • Dr Paul Whitehead
    • Dr Alison Halliday
    • John Walker
Environment & Sustainability
Water Purity

Microbeads: The Tiny Plastics Creating Big Problems

18 Feb 2020
- by Natasha Zarach

Young woman cleaning microplastics from sand on the beach - Environmental problem, pollution and ecolosystem warning

Microbeads have featured in the news a lot recently, with reports suggesting New Zealand will be the latest country to consider a ban on their use in cosmetics. But what are they, and why are they being banned?

What Are Microbeads?

Microbeads are small plastic particles – typically between one micrometre and one millimetre in diameter – that can be added to bathroom products, such as hand wash, exfoliating scrubs and even toothpaste. They’re most commonly made from polyethylene or other plastics such as polypropylene or polystyrene, and are employed as exfoliating agents (tiny skin scrubbers) or used to give lotions that silky smooth feeling.

Whilst not all products contain microbeads, those that do often include them in their hundreds of thousands. In fact, the non-profit 5 Gyres Institute claims that a single tube of facial scrub can contain over 330,000 of the things!

Why Do They Pose A Threat?

Who’s not in favour of a perfect complexion, right? Here’s the catch. Once you’ve finished pampering yourself, these plastic particles proceed down the plughole, passing straight through the filters of wastewater treatment plants to end up in our rivers, lakes and oceans.

This is problematic as a whole host of marine wildlife can mistake them for food – with one study suggesting that some young fish actually prefer eating plastic to plankton. Unfortunately, the same investigation also found that microbeads stunted the fishes’ growth and gave rise to less active animals that were more susceptible to predators.

Microbeads not only clog up aquatic species’ digestive systems – the plastic particles can actually absorb and concentrate other toxins in water. When ingested in large numbers, these toxins can be absorbed into the fish itself and accumulate up the food chain, potentially ending up on our dinner plates. Studies have shown that around a quarter of fish caught off the coast of California (destined for human consumption) contained man-made plastics and fibres. Whilst a report by the European Food Safety Authority, found no conclusive evidence to support significant uptake in humans from seafood, it did recommend further studies into the potential effects of plastic-related bioaccumulation.

Will Banning Microbeads Help Clean Up Our Water?

In light of these concerns, a number of countries have taken steps to ban microbead-containing products. In 2015, the US government passed the Microbead Free Waters Act, which will begin phasing out microbead products from July this year. Following in the US’s footsteps, the UK announced last year that a phased ban of microbead-containing cosmetics and cleaning products would be put in place by the end of 2017, with Ireland also recently stating its intention to introduce a similar ban later this year.

Whilst the bans will accelerate the process of taking microbead products off supermarket shelves, consumer pressure is already having an effect. A number of major UK supermarkets have already dropped microbeads from their own beauty products, with some major cosmetics companies, such as Unilever, replacing them with natural alternatives like ground walnut shells. Other multinationals are following suit, with brands including L’Oréal and Estée Lauder pledging to phase them out by the end of 2017.

However, when it comes to the wider issue of plastic pollution in our seas, even an immediate global ban on microbeads would be something of a drop in the ocean. One survey estimates that as much as 236,000 metric tons of plastic are floating about globally. Despite innovative plastic removal projects, such as the Ocean Cleanup programme, one of the most effective ways to stop the problem getting worse is to prevent plastics ending up there in the first place.

The microbead saga demonstrates that with the right pressure on governments and businesses, we can take positive action to make our waters cleaner.

 

Download our Going Green Report Now

Are lab water impurities compromising your research on environmental water contaminants?

Learn how fellow reserachers are contributing to the fight against water contaminants

              Download your copy of the full report here

 

Highlights

19 Apr 2021
LC-MS/MS and Ultrapure Water - an Essential Partnership for Environmental Research
15 Apr 2021
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and its Measurement
12 Apr 2021
Printing Personalised Doses of Medical Cannabis - Finland
5 Apr 2021
Every Dog Has Its Day: Rare Earths – The Elements of Today and Tomorrow
29 Mar 2021
Streamlining HPLC - Australia
26 Mar 2021
Deionised Water
26 Mar 2021
Pure Water in the Lab: Everything you Need to Know
26 Mar 2021
Different Types of Pure Water For The Lab: What You Need to Know

Categories

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Clinical & Pharma
  • Cool Science
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • Future Science
  • Life in The Lab
  • PURELAB Product Design
  • Science of the Future
  • Water In The Lab
  • Water Purity

Video

  • Enquiry
  • Get a Quote
  • Book a Demo
  • Find an Approved Partner

Enquiry

Please check this to confirm that you have read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Get a Quote

Please check this to confirm that you have read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Book a Demo

Please check this to confirm that you have read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Call us

Can't find what you are looking for?

Support Number
+44 (0)20 3567 7300
United Kingdom Sales
+44 (0)1628 879 704
United States of America Sales
+1 877-315-3542
France Sales
+33 1 40 83 65 00
China Sales
+86 400-616-8882

 

ELGA LabWater Head Quarters

Lane End Business Park
Lane End, High Wycombe
HP14 3BY
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 203 567 7300
F: +44 (0) 203 567 7205

The Ultrapure Water Specialists

  • Support & Services
  • Events

Case Studies

  • Abbott Diagnostics
  • DASA Medical Diagnostics
  • NeoDIN Medical Institute
  • North Staffordshire NHS Trust
  • Olsberg Vocational College

Resources

  • Learn About Ultrapure Water
  • Guides and White Papers
  • Purification Technologies
  • Applications
  • Impurities In Water

Blogs

  • Latest Blog
  • Water Purity - Different Types of Pure Water
  • What is Clinical Laboratory Reagent Water (CLSI)?
  • What is Total Organic Carbon (TOC)?
  • Language
    • Deutsch
    • English
    • Español
    • Français
    • Italiano
    • Português
    • 日本語
    • 中文
  • Other Veolia Sites
    • Veolia
    • Veolia Fondation
    • Veolia Water Technologies

© VWS (UK) Ltd. trading as ELGA LabWater. 2021 - All rights reserved.
ELGA is the global laboratory water brand name of Veolia.

  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Global Legal Compliance
  • Patents
  • Impressum
Elga Veolia
TOP

© 2017 ELGA Veolia