What is your Opinion?

[Moose]

It appears that plastic micro beads are starting to be found in our water. These micro beads are used in face scrubs and body washes. Do you think these micro beads could be an environmental concern?

[waykoolplantz]

Are they designed to break down over time ? Are they in the aquifer ?

[Zeeth]

Interesting. Many products use powdered walnut shells instead of plastic beads. It seems like a ban wouldn't affect the industry that much besides using a decomposable product instead of one that isn't.

[MattyB]

Yes, they are a huge concern. Stupid idea in the first place.

[WestCoastGal]

I saw a news story on this the other day. We've never bought products with the beads in them and to be honest I always assumed the little beads were some hard soap beads that broke down when you rubbed them in your hands, hair, etc. I was floored to hear that they were plastic and got washed down the drain and stayed beads way down the water chain. Both my spouse and I looked at each other and said to each other at the same time that this was due to some plastic company trying to get rid of product...so why not throw it into something. Just like what they do with non-essential chemicals in so many food products etc.

Whether these beads get filtered by all water departments or not, I can assume they are eaten by fish somewhere along the line. Bad idea. I could see the possibility of these getting stuck in all kinds of plumbing lines and eventually posing a problem. Wouldn't touch products like this and hope stuff like this gets pulled from the market.

BTW the segment we saw had a rep from the L.A. water department I believe it was that said they tested for it and their filters were fine enough to catch the beads. Got the feeling that not all treatment plants were filtering at that level. Think the beads were first discovered in the water in the midWest. Can't recall more.

[Jimbean]

There is a chemical compound called Bisphenol-A (BPA) which is an estrogen mimicker that is found in most plastics. when they break down and heat up (say, under the sun) the particles release the BPA and contaminate the soil and water. The consequence of this is that the animals will all tend to be female, or the males do not function with a correct hormonal balance.

Here is a quick article to show that I am not making this up:

http://www.sciencebuzz.org/blog/freaky-frogs-and-estrogen-impostors

[Jeff Searle]

And just another way were killing mother earth!

[Phoenikakias]

In any case (whether not filtered or passed in the food chain) it does not sound good at all!

[WestCoastGal]

Heard on the news tonight that tomorrow, Friday, the Calif legislature is voting on banning the microbeads in personal care products. Have no idea what will happen.

[WestCoastGal]

Calif House passed the bill to ban it's use 45-10, now moving on to State Senate. However if I am reading this news article below correctly the bill was weaken by the cosmetics industry winning an extension until 2019. Wow 5 years, wonder how many beads that would amount to? Hopefully consumers will shun products with the beads in them in the meantime if they are aware of this issue, and the cosmetic industry will find those products unprofitable to continue to produce into 2019. Surprised there wasn't a vocal lobbying effort by the plastics industry--first plastic bags ban and now this.

A similar bill was introduced in NY but I'm not following that one.

http://www.scpr.org/blogs/economy/2014/05/23/16699/bill-banning-microbeads-in-relurlplee514/

[WestCoastGal]

If you hate getting poppy seeds stuck in your teeth and gum line, read this. Saw this article today and remembered this thread.

http://ipad.aol.com/article/2014/09/17/controversial-ingredient-in-toothpaste-may-lodge-plastic-beads-i/20963761/?ncid=webmail3

All I can say is those plastic sales reps are sure working overtime on convincing companies to pur these microbeads in anything out there. Can't believe Crest who prides themself on providing great teeth and gum care wouldn't have thought this could happen.

[DoomsDave]

If you hate getting poppy seeds stuck in your teeth and gum line, read this. Saw this article today and remembered this thread.

http://ipad.aol.com/article/2014/09/17/controversial-ingredient-in-toothpaste-may-lodge-plastic-beads-i/20963761/?ncid=webmail3

All I can say is those plastic sales reps are sure working overtime on convincing companies to pur these microbeads in anything out there. Can't believe Crest who prides themself on providing great teeth and gum care wouldn't have thought this could happen.

Meh!

Opuntia spines are much better . . .