A study conducted by researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil concluded that particles of glitter can hinder the growth of organisms at the base of aquatic ecosystems, such as cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), which play a key role in the biogeochemical cycles of water and soil, as well as being eaten by other organisms. An article on the study is published in the journal Aquatic Toxicology.
Ubiquitous in makeup, nail polish, holiday decorations, greeting cards, Carnival costumes and many other places, glitter sticks to skin and clothes and requires a lot of effort to remove. It is made up of microplastics, tiny particles under 5 mm in size, typically polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), coated with aluminum to create a reflective surface.
Microplastics are too small to be filtered out by wastewater treatment plants and end up flowing from drains in shower stalls or sinks to rivers, beaches and oceans. More than 8 million metric tons of glitter are estimated to have been discharged into the ocean in recent years, according to recent scientific studies.
