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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Reducing microplastics from facial exfoliating cleansers in wastewater through treatment versus consumer product decisions
ClearWastewater treatment plant effluents as source of cosmetic polyethylene microbeads to freshwater
Using Ljubljana, Slovenia as a case study, researchers estimated how many polyethylene microbeads from cosmetics pass through a wastewater treatment plant and enter surface waters. The study found that even plants with high removal efficiency still release substantial numbers of microbeads, supporting the case for banning them from personal care products.
Assessment of microplastic release from facial and body scrubs in aquatic ecosystems
Researchers analyzed six popular face and body scrub products and found an average of nearly 300 microplastic particles per gram, predominantly made of polyethylene in irregular shapes, estimating that significant quantities of these particles are released into waterways through wastewater treatment systems with each use.
Microbeads in Commercial Facial Cleansers: Threatening the Environment
Researchers extracted and analyzed microbeads from four commercial facial cleansers, finding concentrations high enough to raise concerns about environmental release through wastewater. The study adds to the evidence that personal care products are a significant and preventable source of primary microplastics entering aquatic ecosystems.
A novel simplified method for extraction of microplastic particles from face scrub and laundry wastewater
Researchers developed a simplified extraction method for collecting microplastics from face scrubs and laundry wastewater, achieving about 94% recovery efficiency while being faster and less resource-intensive than existing approaches. Applied to 12 commercial face scrubs, the method confirmed the presence of microplastic beads and microfibers in personal care product wastewater.
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.
Exploration of microplastics from personal care and cosmetic products and its estimated emissions to marine environment: An evidence from Malaysia
Microplastics including microbeads were quantified in personal care and cosmetic products sold in Malaysia, with scrubs and toothpastes as the top contributors, and estimated emissions to marine environments were calculated. The findings support the case for regulations banning plastic microbeads in cosmetics as a pollution prevention measure.
Responses of activated sludge under a short-term exposure to facial scrub microbeads: implications from treatment performance and higher-life microbial population dynamics
This study exposed wastewater treatment reactors to microbeads from facial scrub products and found that even short-term exposure disrupted the microbial communities that clean sewage, reducing bacterial counts and treatment performance at higher concentrations. Cosmetic microbeads that pass through drains can therefore impair the biological systems we rely on to treat sewage before it reaches rivers and drinking water sources. The results support policies banning microbeads from personal care products.
Microbead nuisance: Estimation of microplastic release into water bodies through personal care and cosmetic products
Researchers found that plastic microbeads in facial scrubs sold in India — made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or cellophane — contribute an estimated 4.7 × 10¹⁰ microbeads (roughly 3.8 tonnes) to the environment annually through largely untreated sewage systems.
Personal Care and Cosmetic Products as a Potential Source of Environmental Contamination by Microplastics in a Densely Populated Asian City
Researchers surveyed personal care and cosmetic products sold in a densely populated Asian city for microbeads and other microplastic ingredients, documenting the extent of microbead-containing products still on the market and estimating their potential contribution to municipal wastewater microplastic loads.
Microbeads in exfoliating products: occurrence, abundance, and potential for water contamination in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Researchers analyzed popular facial and body scrub products sold in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, finding that each gram of product contained 236–942 plastic microbeads ranging in size from 66 to 1,012 micrometers. They estimated that these products release approximately 1.3 billion microbeads annually into local waterways, highlighting personal care products as a significant microplastic source in Southeast Asia.
Clean, but not green: Emission assessment, forecast modelling and policy solutions for plastic microbeads from personal care products in India
Researchers analyzed 45 personal care products sold in India and found that plastic microbeads were present in face washes, scrubs, shower gels, and body scrubs. They estimated current and future microbead emissions based on product usage patterns and population growth, projecting a significant increase in microplastic pollution from these sources. The study calls for regulatory action to ban intentionally added microbeads in personal care products in India.
Microplastic contamination in wastewater: Sources, distribution, detection and remediation through physical and chemical-biological methods
This review covers how microplastics end up in wastewater from sources like textile fibers, personal care microbeads, and broken-down plastic debris, and how they often survive the treatment process. Current removal methods like filtration and chemical degradation are costly and not fully effective. The lack of standardized ways to measure microplastics in wastewater makes it difficult to assess the full scope of human exposure through water systems.
Extraction and Analysis of Microplastic Beads from Personal Care Products
Researchers extracted and characterized polyethylene microbeads from personal care products using hydrogen peroxide/nitric acid digestion followed by FTIR spectroscopy and stereomicroscopy, confirming that three of six facial cleansers tested contained microplastic beads not removed by wastewater treatment, highlighting a direct consumer product pathway to aquatic microplastic pollution.
Physical-chemical characterization of microplastics present in some exfoliating products from Spain
Researchers physically and chemically characterised microplastics from ten personal care exfoliating products marketed in Spain, finding polyethylene microspheres in concentrations between 6-7% of total product weight in some cases. Smaller particles generally appeared at higher concentrations, highlighting these products as a direct source of microplastic pollution entering waterways.
Effectiveness of conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants in microplastics removal: Insights from multiple analytical techniques
Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants in removing microplastics across multiple treatment stages, finding removal efficiencies of 70–90% but documenting that billions of particles still pass through in final effluent daily.
Incidence of microplastics in personal care products: An appreciable part of plastic pollution
A review of 88 studies found that personal care products like exfoliating scrubs release about 1,500 tons of microplastics per year into global waterways through wastewater systems, representing up to 0.8% of all microplastics entering the oceans annually. Polyethylene is the dominant polymer and will persist in the environment long after microbeads are banned.
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.
Microbeads in personal care products sold in Pakistan: extraction, quantification, characterization, and buoyancy analysis
Analysis of twelve personal care products sold in Pakistan — including face washes and scrubs — found plastic microbeads in all of them, ranging from ethylene-vinyl acetate to polyethylene and PET, with most particles sinking in water and therefore likely to settle in aquatic sediments after rinsing. This study underscores the need for stronger regulation of microbead-containing cosmetics in markets where bans have not yet been introduced.
Municipal effluent as a potential source of microplastics in the aquatic environment
This review examined municipal wastewater treatment plants as potential sources of microplastics—including microbeads from personal care products and synthetic fibers from laundry—in aquatic environments. While modern treatment plants remove a significant fraction of microplastics, they may still discharge millions of particles per day and their capacity to remove the smallest particles is limited.
Influence of wastewater treatment process on pollution characteristics and fate of microplastics
Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and removal efficiency across four wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies, finding influent concentrations between 539 and 1,290 particles per liter that were reduced substantially by primary and secondary treatment. Smaller microplastic particles proved hardest to remove and most likely to persist in final effluent.
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.
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.
Microplastics removal through water treatment plants: Its feasibility, efficiency, future prospects and enhancement by proper waste management
Researchers reviewed over 80 studies on water treatment plant performance and found microplastic removal ranges widely — from 16% in basic primary treatment up to near 100% with advanced membrane systems — but a major flaw is that removed microplastics concentrate in sludge, which can re-enter the environment. The review recommends optimizing coagulants and sludge treatment to prevent microplastics from simply being relocated rather than eliminated.
Recent advances on microplastics pollution and removal from wastewater systems: A critical review
This review summarizes the latest research on microplastic detection, occurrence, and removal in wastewater treatment plants. While treatment plants can remove 57-99% of microplastics depending on the stage, significant amounts still escape into the environment through treated water and sludge. The findings highlight the need for advanced treatment methods to prevent microplastics from reaching waterways and ultimately human water supplies.