Erin McElhone 3rd Period: Microbeads pollute the U.S Aquatic System

     Microbeads are tiny plastic beads that companies have been adding to body wash, acne scrubs, soaps, cosmetics, and even toothpaste in some cases to give the customer an "exfoliation sensation." Microbeads might not seem like a big problem right now because they are only 5 mm in size, but with eight trillion entering the aquatic habitats of the United Sates alone they introduce a dilemma. Because the beads are made to literally wash away, down your drain, the clean up for the litter is nearly impossible. The effect of the fish in these habitats, eating the beads is being studied by scientists right now, they are also seeing if the beads have an effect on a consumer of a fish that has eaten microbeads. Scientists believe that this item is a complete detriment to the environment, as are asking for a complete ban on microbeads. The companies Unilever and Johnson & Johnson have taken the initiative to remove the item from their products, and in June 2014, the state Illinois was the first to ban products containing microbeads. The states, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Colorado have put in place regulation bans on this plastic product.

   Pollution is becoming a really big problem not only in the United States, but all over the world. We are always being told to recycle and not to throw our plastic bags out into the street, but we are never warned that what we are innocently washing down the drain could cause a huge problem in the future. You can find a list of items that have this small noxious material here (updated July 2015.) 

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