<
https://www.sciencealert.com/glitter-has-a-dark-side-and-its-causing-even-more-harm-than-we-realized>
"All that glitters is not gold. Actual glitter, for instance, can be a
surprisingly harmful environmental pollutant, as a new study demonstrates.
Despite its association with fun and frivolity, glitter has a dark side. Flecks
of glitter reduce the amount of sunlight that penetrates into bodies of water,
the new study shows, potentially impairing the ability of some aquatic plants
to photosynthesize.
Glitter is essentially a microplastic in disguise, whose whimsical nature
distracts from its insidious contributions to plastic pollution. That has begun
changing to some degree, however, as seen in the recent ban on microplastic
glitter in the European Union.
As a microplastic, glitter typically resists degradation, helping it persist
and accumulate in the environment. And since it's often too small to be
filtered by wastewater treatment plants, it can end up in waterways,
potentially harming freshwater aquatic life or traveling on to pollute the
ocean.
Led by researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in
Brazil, the new study points to an additional problem.
While flecks of glitter are made of plastic – typically Mylar, the researchers
note – they often feature a metallic coating, too, made from aluminum, bismuth,
iron, or titanium. The presence of these metals can prevent aquatic plants from
getting enough sunlight, the study suggests."
Via Rixty Dixet.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
