Exfoliants

[kia cat]

Is it an "urban myth" that exfoliants with the tiny plastic beads are detrimental to the environment and make their way through water treatment plants into the sea, where fish can swallow them? I would've thought that something you can feel, but maybe not see, would get trapped in filtering process. Any thoughts? thx

[KARL]

This has been stated in serious research reports, not an urban myth. Sewage treatment screens are quite coarse and very small items easily pass through them - ladies sanitary items, wipes, condoms, etc. are screened out. Only in conditions where ALL the sewage effluent is treated to potable water standard, or at least close to that, using something like sand filters might these plastic particles be filtered out - that is very rarely the case and I know of no example of that.

[Prudie]

I have also heard this and would probably to choose to use an exfoliant that used a natural abrasive such as almond seeds.
It's wet-wipes that really need addressing

[Old_Geezer]

They are getting into the food chain. They probably need to be phased out, and consideration given regarding creating things small enough to cause issues in the environment.

[Old_Geezer]

http://www.npr.org/2014/05/21/313157701/why-those-tiny-microbeads-in-soap-may-pose-problem-for-great-lakes