dc.contributor.author |
Fendall, Lisa |
en |
dc.contributor.author |
Sewell, Mary |
en |
dc.date.accessioned |
2012-02-23T01:01:17Z |
en |
dc.date.issued |
2009 |
en |
dc.identifier.citation |
Marine Pollution Bulletin 58(8):1225-1228 Aug 2009 |
en |
dc.identifier.issn |
0025-326X |
en |
dc.identifier.uri |
http://hdl.handle.net/2292/11741 |
en |
dc.description.abstract |
Plastics pollution in the ocean is an area of growing concern, with research efforts focusing on both the macroplastic (>5 mm) and microplastic (<5 mm) fractions. In the 1990s it was recognized that a minor source of microplastic pollution was derived from liquid hand-cleansers that would have been rarely used by the average consumer. In 2009, however, the average consumer is likely to be using microplastic-containing products on a daily basis, as the majority of facial cleansers now contain polyethylene microplastics which are not captured by wastewater plants and will enter the oceans. Four microplastic-containing facial cleansers available in New Zealand supermarkets were used to quantify the size of the polythelene fragments. Three-quarters of the brands had a modal size of <100 microns and could be immediately ingested by planktonic organisms at the base of the food chain. Over time the microplastics will be subject to UV-degradation and absorb hydrophobic materials such as PCBs, making them smaller and more toxic in the long-term. Marine scientists need to educate the public to the dangers of using products that pose an immediate and long-term threat to the health of the oceans and the food we eat. |
en |
dc.publisher |
Elsevier Ltd |
en |
dc.relation.ispartofseries |
Marine Pollution Bulletin |
en |
dc.rights |
Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Details obtained from: http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0025-326X/ |
en |
dc.rights.uri |
https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm |
en |
dc.title |
Contributing to marine pollution by washing your face: microplastics in facial cleansers |
en |
dc.type |
Journal Article |
en |
dc.identifier.doi |
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.04.025 |
en |
pubs.begin-page |
1225 |
en |
pubs.volume |
58 |
en |
dc.rights.holder |
Copyright: Elsevier Ltd |
en |
dc.identifier.pmid |
19481226 |
en |
pubs.end-page |
1228 |
en |
dc.rights.accessrights |
http://purl.org/eprint/accessRights/RestrictedAccess |
en |
pubs.subtype |
Article |
en |
pubs.elements-id |
96585 |
en |
pubs.org-id |
Science |
en |
pubs.org-id |
Biological Sciences |
en |
pubs.record-created-at-source-date |
2010-09-01 |
en |
pubs.dimensions-id |
19481226 |
en |