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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Aquatic Toxicity of Polyethylene and Microcrystalline Cellulose Microbeads Used as Abrasives in Cosmetics
ClearComparative toxicity of exfoliating products containing microplastics and alternative particles from Nepal
Researchers tested the toxicity of exfoliating cosmetic products containing microplastics against those using natural alternative particles from Nepal, finding differences in how each affected aquatic organisms. The study informs debates about whether natural alternatives to synthetic microbeads in cosmetics are truly safer for the environment.
Effect of Addition of Spheroidal Cellulose Powders on Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Cosmetic Emulsions
The cosmetics industry has historically used tiny plastic microbeads as scrubbing and texturizing agents in face creams, but these are now widely banned due to environmental harm. This study evaluated spheroidal cellulose powders — derived from plant material — as a biodegradable replacement, finding that creams containing cellulose particles of two different sizes (2 and 7 µm) performed best, delivering good skin hydration, favorable texture, and high consumer sensory ratings. The results support cellulose-based particles as a viable and genuinely biodegradable substitute for synthetic microplastics in personal care products.
Microplastics: Applications in the Cosmetic Industry and Impacts on the Aquatic Environment
This review examines how microplastics are used in cosmetics as microbeads in products like exfoliating cleansers, and how these particles enter waterways through drain disposal and harm aquatic life. The authors summarize the main problems caused by cosmetic microplastics and discuss regulatory efforts to phase them out.
Microplastics in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products: Impacts on Aquatic Life and Rodents with Potential Alternatives
This review examined microplastics in cosmetics and personal care products as a major environmental source, cataloguing their types and concentrations in commercial formulations and reviewing evidence that they harm aquatic organisms and rodents through ingestion, bioaccumulation, and chemical co-exposure, while also surveying biodegradable alternatives.
An Eco-friendly Alternative to Polyethylene Microbeads in Personal Healthcare Products
This paper proposes eco-friendly, biodegradable alternatives to polyethylene microbeads used as exfoliants in personal care products like shower gels. Replacing synthetic plastic microbeads with natural materials would reduce a direct source of microplastic pollution entering waterways through drain runoff.
Microplastics in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products
This review examines the presence of microplastics, commonly known as microbeads, in cosmetics and personal care products and their pathway into aquatic environments through wastewater discharge. Researchers assessed how these tiny particles interact with marine species and other pollutants once they enter water bodies. The study underscores that despite the existence of wastewater treatment plants, microbeads from personal care products remain a persistent source of aquatic plastic pollution.
Assessing the biodegradability of microparticles disposed down the drain
This study tested the biodegradability of microparticles made from natural and biodegradable materials proposed as alternatives to synthetic microplastic particles in personal care products, finding that they broke down efficiently under standard conditions. The results support the use of naturally derived microparticles as safer substitutes for plastic microbeads in cosmetics.
Impact of polyethylene microbeads on the floating freshwater plant duckweed Lemna minor
Researchers exposed duckweed — a small floating freshwater plant — to polyethylene microbeads from cosmetics and found that the beads adhered to the plant surface and reduced growth at higher concentrations. The study highlights how primary microplastics from consumer products can affect freshwater plants even at relatively low doses.
Plastic microbeads: small yet mighty concerning
This review discusses the environmental concerns surrounding plastic microbeads - the tiny plastic particles used in cosmetic scrubs and personal care products - tracing their sources, distribution in aquatic environments, and potential ecological effects. The study supports regulatory bans on microbeads given their persistence, wide distribution, and ingestion by aquatic organisms.
Uptake, Elimination and Effects of Cosmetic Microbeads on the Freshwater Gastropod Biomphalaria glabrata
Researchers investigated uptake, elimination, and effects of cosmetic polyethylene microbeads on freshwater snails, finding that snails readily ingested and eliminated microbeads but showed limited adverse effects during short-term and long-term exposure periods.
Effects of petroleum-based and biopolymer-based nanoplastics on aquatic organisms: A case study with mechanically degraded pristine polymers
Researchers compared the toxicity of nanoplastics made from three petroleum-based plastics and one bio-based plastic (PLA) on freshwater organisms. All four types of nanoplastics caused toxic effects, but the bio-based PLA nanoplastics were not necessarily safer than conventional ones. The study suggests that switching to bio-based plastics may not eliminate the problem of nanoplastic toxicity in aquatic environments.
Strategy for the development of a new stick formula without microplastics
This study developed a microplastic-free cosmetic stick formula to replace polyethylene, which is commonly used in cosmetics as a structuring agent but passes through wastewater treatment plants and accumulates in aquatic environments. The researchers identified functional alternatives that maintained product performance, demonstrating that microplastic ingredients in personal care products can be eliminated through reformulation without sacrificing quality.
An exploratory ecotoxicity study of primary microplastics versus aged in natural waters and wastewaters
Polyethylene facial scrub microbeads were incubated for 3 weeks in spring water, river water, WWTP effluent, and landfill leachate, then tested for ecotoxicity on Daphnia, zebrafish embryos, and duckweed. While pristine microplastics showed no acute toxicity, beads incubated in high-organic-load wastewaters became significantly toxic, demonstrating that environmental weathering and chemical sorption transform microplastics into more hazardous particles.
Not so dangerous? PET microplastics toxicity on freshwater microalgae and cyanobacteria
Researchers tested whether PET microplastics are toxic to freshwater algae and cyanobacteria and found that the effects were relatively mild compared to other plastic types. While PET particles did cause some changes in growth and photosynthesis at high concentrations, the organisms largely tolerated the exposure. The study suggests that not all microplastics are equally harmful, and PET may pose lower risks to aquatic primary producers.
The Ecological Consequences of Cosmetic-Microplastic Pollutants, A Study of Flora and Fauna Responses from Beaches to Benthic Zones.
This study reviewed how cosmetic-derived microplastic pollutants—particularly microbeads from personal care products—affect marine flora and fauna from beach zones to deep benthic habitats. The authors found that cosmetic microbeads accumulate in coastal sediments and are ingested by diverse organisms, contributing to food chain contamination and ecological disruption.
A review on fate and ecotoxicity of biodegradable microplastics in aquatic system: Are biodegradable plastics truly safe for the environment?
This review examines whether biodegradable plastics are truly safe for aquatic environments, finding that they can break down into microplastics faster than conventional plastics and cause comparable or even greater harm to algae, invertebrates, and fish. The findings suggest that switching to biodegradable plastics alone will not solve the microplastic pollution problem, and these particles can still enter the human food chain through contaminated seafood.
Microplastics modify the toxicity of glyphosate on Daphnia magna
Daphnia magna were exposed to three glyphosate formulations combined with polyethylene microbeads or PET/PA fibers for one week, finding that microplastics altered (mostly reduced) the toxicity of glyphosate depending on formulation and plastic type. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modulate pesticide bioavailability and toxicity in freshwater crustaceans.
The Degradation Rate of Bio Microbeads Derived from Cellulose and Impregnated with Moringa Leaf Flavonoids Extract
This study developed biodegradable microbeads derived from cellulose as an eco-friendly replacement for synthetic plastic microbeads, which are banned in many countries because they pass through wastewater treatment and accumulate in the environment. The bio-based microbeads showed competitive degradation rates while meeting functional requirements for personal care product applications.
Particle Size and Dispersion Properties of Cellulose Beads Fabricated via Coaxial Needle Spray Method
Researchers developed a method for producing cellulose microbeads smaller than 500 micrometers using a coaxial needle spray technique, as a biodegradable alternative to synthetic plastic microbeads in cosmetics. Replacing plastic microbeads in personal care products with cellulose-based alternatives directly reduces microplastic contamination in wastewater and aquatic environments.
Ecotoxicity of Biodegradable Microplastics and Bio-based Microplastics: A Review of in vitro and in vivo Studies
This review examines whether "eco-friendly" biodegradable and bio-based plastics are truly safer than conventional plastics when they break down into microplastics. The findings show that many biodegradable plastics, including popular types like PLA and PBAT, can still cause harm to plants and aquatic organisms, suggesting that simply switching to biodegradable materials does not eliminate microplastic risks.
Plastic microbeads from cosmetic products: an experimental study of their hydrodynamic behaviour, vertical transport and resuspension in phytoplankton and sediment aggregates
Researchers studied the hydrodynamic behavior of plastic microbeads from cosmetic products, finding that their physical properties — size, shape, and density — govern how they disperse and settle in aquatic environments after release from consumer products.
Effects of Petroleum and Bio-micro(nano)plastics on Aquatic Organisms
This review compared the ecotoxicological effects of fossil-based and bio-based micro/nanoplastics on aquatic organisms, finding that bioplastics can degrade into micro/nanoplastics and release harmful additives and monomers. Available data suggest bioplastics may cause similar or sometimes greater harm than conventional plastics.
Contrasting the effects of microplastic types, concentrations and nutrient enrichment on freshwater communities and ecosystem functioning
Researchers tested two types of microplastics, conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid, in outdoor freshwater mesocosms and found that neither type significantly affected community composition or ecosystem functions like algae growth and leaf decomposition. Even at concentrations known to cause harm in lab settings, the microplastics had minimal impact when tested in more realistic ecological conditions. The study suggests that real-world microplastic effects on freshwater communities may differ from laboratory predictions.
Distinct exposure impact of non-degradable and biodegradable microplastics on freshwater microalgae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa): Implications for polylactic acid as a sustainable plastic alternative
This study compared how aged biodegradable PLA microplastics and conventional polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics affect freshwater algae. While PLA caused milder stress and prompted algae to produce protective compounds, conventional plastics inhibited photosynthesis and caused more severe cellular damage. The findings suggest that PLA may be a genuinely less harmful alternative to traditional plastics for aquatic ecosystems, though it still causes some biological stress.