An examination of skin exfoliation products by an environmentalist group found that 108 out of 308 personal care products contain plastic microbeads, which the group said could absorb toxic substances and enter the food chain, threatening human health.
Taiwan Watch Institute has been sampling facial foams, shower gels, toothpastes and other personal care products since August, institute secretary-general Herlin Hsieh (謝和霖) said yesterday, adding that they have found out that about one-third of the products contained microbeads — plastic particles smaller than 1mm in diameter — that are widely used as exfoliating agents, and that a bottle of facial foam could contain up to 1 million microbeads.
Up to 70 percent of products that claim to have a scrubbing or peeling function contain plastic microbeads, Hsieh said.
“Microbeads absorb toxic substances around them, such as heavy metals and pesticides, making it like a pill full of highly concentrated toxins. Microbeads could enter the food chain and affect human health, as marine organisms could consume microbeads after the material, which water purification plants could not filter, enters the ocean,” he said.
A Belgian study published last year estimated that the annual dietary exposure for European shellfish consumers can amount to 11,000 microbeads per year, calculated by the concentration of microbeads in two species of commercially grown bivalves, institute researcher Sun Wei-tzu (孫偉孜) said, adding that the microbeads could pose greater health risks than large plastic waste due to the effect of biomagnification.
Ninety-five percent of microbeads are made of polyethylene (PE), the most common plastic, primarily used in plastic bags, films and containers, in addition to polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate and nylon, Sun said, adding that PE has a greater capacity to absorb pollutants than other plastics.
Due to their low cost, microbeads have been used to replace sea salt, nut shells and other natural materials as exfoliating agents, he said.
Eight US states, including Illinois and California, have banned the use of microbeads, and the Canadian government is moving to prohibit the substance, he said.
He called on the government to ban microbeads, while calling on consumers to avoid using personal care products containing PE, adding that consumers can use smartphone applications to scan a product to see whether it contains microbeads.
The Environmental Protection Administration said that there is no existing measure to regulate microbeads in terms of their size, concentration or materials used in manufacturing, and the agency needs to assess the environmental impact of microbeads before determining whether to ban the material, while there is no fixed timetable for establishing relevant measures or potentially imposing a ban.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS