After Microbead Ban, Experts Consider Next Steps

Congress passed a law phasing out microbeads last year over concerns that the plastic component in toothpaste and face scrubs is polluting rivers and streams.

A growing body of research showed that microbeads are harming U.S. waterways.

In September, “a study published in Environmental Science & Technology reported that more than 8 trillion microbeads were entering the country's aquatic habitats daily. The volume was enough to coat the surface of 300 tennis courts every day,” CNN reported.

"These microplastics tend not to be filtered out during sewage treatment, but are released directly into rivers, lakes and the ocean,” a United Nations report explained.

And in a rare feat of bipartisanship, members of Congress decided to phase out microbeads beginning in 2017, Bloomberg BNA reported. President Obama signed the legislation in December.

But questions remain about whether the policy goes far enough. “Will it be enough to solve the plastic pollution problem plaguing our rivers, lakes and oceans?” Bloomberg BNA asked.

Critics argue that the environmental impact of plastics is much broader than the microbead issue.

“The microbead ban is an important step in the right direction, but we have a lot more work to do,” said Blake Kopcho, oceans campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity, per the report.

“While we are waiting for the microbead phase out to commence, we are going to redouble our efforts to pass policies that tackle major contributors of plastic pollution — like plastic bottles, microfibers, and plastic bags — at the source,” Kopcho told Bloomberg BNA.

Government experts note that microbeads are not the only source of water pollution.

“While a federal ban on cosmetic microbeads in the United States would eliminate one source of plastic pollution, it’s not a total fix. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, larger pieces of plastic can splinter over time into increasingly tiny pieces. Also, banning microbead production won’t remove all the microplastics already contaminating waters from the Great Barrier Reef to the Arctic Ocean,” Smithsonian reported.

For similar stories, visit Water Online’s Source Water Contamination Solutions Center.