Tiny Particles Of Plastic From Beauty Products Affecting The Great Lakes

Tiny pieces of plastic no more than a millimeter in size flushed down pipes and escaped into the closest body of water could have a lasting impact on the environment.

A new study found that these microscopic particles, which are found in beauty products like facial and body washes, accumulate in the great lakes more than the oceans. The micro beads effects could be devastating to the aquatic environment and beyond, according to Quartz, a digital website that covers the global economy.

The study of micro beads in the ocean began around five years ago. Scientists discovered billions of the particles among giant islands of trash, including one collection far out in the Pacific Ocean measuring twice the size of Texas, according to The New York Times. Smaller fish that ate plankton and algae ingested the micro beads, which eventually were absorbed into the tissue of the larger fish that ate them. That pathway could continue to humans, according to Quartz.

Research by 5 Gyres Institute, a nonprofit that studies ocean plastic pollution, and the State University of New York at Fredonia discovered that the levels of micro beads are higher in the Great Lakes than the oceans and thus a threat to the health of the lakes, Quartz reported.

After three weeks of data collection, the Institute found micro bead concentrations averaged around 43,000 pieces per square kilometer in the five Great Lakes, with a range of 450 to 450,000 pieces per square kilometer, Quarz reported. Lake Erie had the highest concentration.

"All the Great Lakes empty through Erie and concentrations go up as you move through them," Stiv Wilson, the 5 Gyres Institute's policy director, told Quartz.

Researchers at 5 Gyres believe micro beads reach major bodies of water when beauty products are flushed down the drain and sewage treatment doesn't catch the tiny particles, according to Quartz.

"The microbeads were of similar size, shape, texture and composition to plastic micro-beads found in many consumer products used as exfoliants," said Marcus Eriksen, head of 5 Gyres and the lead author of the study.

The 5 Gyres Institute has presented its data to Western cosmetics companies, most of which have agreed to phase out the use of micro beads by 2015, Quartz reported. The institute will direct its attention to Asian companies.