Mitigation Approaches to Prevent Microplastics Effects in the Aquatic Environment: Exploration of Microbeads from Personal Care and Cosmetic Products

Plastic microbeads are inevitably released into the aqueous environment and easily enriched in wastewater treatment processes. They are commonly used in personal care and cosmetic products as abrasive agents. Different countries have imposed regulations on the use or incorporation of microbeads in personal care products, but these are not fully eliminated as they are still detected in the environment. This review evaluates microbeads detection in aqueous and solid phase. Issues associated with contradictory quantification of microbeads by traditional analytical techniques and implications of using coupled systems are discussed. It further explains recent advances on their dispersal and interaction with other pollutants in the environment and complications of isolation in sewage sludge. The review also elaborates on methods that can be considered to modify polyolefins used in cosmetic products to degradable polymers after use and the mechanism involved. However, this should be more sensible because it entails transdermal delivery of cosmetic components and any form of irritation must be always avoided.

Automated summary

This review evaluates the detection of plastic microbeads in aqueous and solid phases, discusses the contradictory quantification of microbeads using traditional analytical techniques and the implications of using coupled systems. It also explains recent advances in the dispersal and interaction of microbeads with other pollutants in the environment and the complications of isolation in sewage sludge.