Microbeads a Macro problem

Trouble in Hawaiian Paradise    (NOAA photo)

Although good things often come in small packages, too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

Such is the case with microbeads.  Perhaps a handful of these “tiny plastic spheres” would make for a good exfoliant.  Multiply this handful by trillions, and the planet itself is stripped raw.

It is estimated that the current amount of microbeads on the loose would “cover more than 300 tennis courts.”  These beady invaders are winding up in sewage sludge, fertilizer, soil, water, and ultimately in the bellies of sea creatures.

Newsweek reports that this barrage of microplastic can then “transfer contaminants to animals and cause toxic effects.”  It is not biodegradable and can therefore wreak havoc for ages to come.

For these reasons, President Obama “signed a bill into law this week banning them [microbeads] for good.” Unfortunately, a retroactive clause would be impossible to enforce.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/microbeads-are-about-to-be-illegal-in-the-united-states/ar-BBo5WWN?li=BBnb7Kz

Copyright January 2, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved