Microbeads

By Adam And Caoimhe 6th Class 2020

WHAT ARE MICROBEADS???

Microbeads are small, solid, manufactured parts of plastic particles that are less than 5 millimetres and don't degrade or desolve in water.

They may be added to a range of products including rinse-off cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products.

Microbeads are used as ingredients in these products for a variety of purposes.

Microbeads are not captured by most wastewater treatment system's.

If they are washed down drains after use, they can end up in rivers and lake's.

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The Purpose Of Microbeads!

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Microbeads are added as an exfoliating agent to cosmetics and personal care products, such as soap, facial scrub and toothpastes.

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The Damage Of Microbeads

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Once in water microbeads can have a damaging effect on marine life, the enviorment and human health. This is due to there composition, ability to absorbe toxins and potential to transfer up the marine food chain.

Which means microbeads flow into water, fish eat them and we eat the fish! Which causes plastic particles to be in our bodies

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Dangers Of Microbeads To Marine Life

Microbeads end up sitting in the stomach of fish, and, just like any plastic they attract and concentrate toxic chemicals including a class of pollutants called polybrominated diphenyl, which are known to cause neurological problems, decreased immune function and even fertility problems

Countrie's That Have Banned Microbeads

Canada

Rep. Of Ireland

France

Italy

Canada

China

United States

India

United Kingdom

New Zealand

Netherlands

South Korea

Ireland On Microbeads

In November 2016, Simon Coveney, the minister for housing, planning Community and local government, said that Fine Gale Led government would press for an E.U wide ban on microbeads and rejected a Green Party bill banning them on basis that it might confit with the E.U's freedom of movement of goods.

In June 2019, Coveney's successor Eoghan Murphy introduced the microbeads bill 2019 which would ban manufacture, sale, and export of rinse off microbeads products.