Microbead Pollution

Apparently it’s not enough to have dead zones in the ocean and trash islands of tsunami debris to deal with but now we must include plastic microbead pollution and it is making things difficult for sea life and fresh water life too. Microbead and plastics pollution has been found floating in mass in the oceans and now in the Great Lakes too. Much of the microbeads found in the lakes, tiny bits of floating plastic, some microscopic, appear to be the beads used in personal care products such as facial and body washes and even toothpastes. These microbeads are so small they flow through waste treatment screens and end up in the lakes. Although it isn't clear how much damage these beads are doing scientists and advocates are calling on the big companies like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, that use microbeads in their personal care products to phase them out. And some have agreed to do just that because fish and birds sometimes eat them, mistaking the microbeads for fish eggs, and sending them back to us as part of the food chain. PAHs and PCBs have been found in the plastic debris and both are capable of causing cancer and birth defects. All the more reason to keep them out of the food chain and that means keeping microbeads out of our water supply in the first place.