2017年2月21日火曜日

Plastic Pollution III - 海洋プラスチック汚染 3

The previous two posts have all been about the plastic we can see, and this one is about "Microbeads".

Microbeads are tiny, tiny plastic pieces which are added to products like face washes and toothpastes and they are so tiny -  some particles are less than 1 millimetre in dimension - that they can go through the filters of sewage plants and flow into rivers and lakes then eventually into oceans. 

All plastic pieces, regardless of their size, are believed to have properties which attract/absorb toxic pollutants such as dioxin and PCB. Such pollutants can be absorbed into the bodies of fish after they swallow microbeads, the toxins causing harm to the fish. The toxins can then go into the bodies of other creatures that consume such fish, including humans. Microbeads, then, could be a threat to human health.

When the risks were revealed a few years ago, some cosmetics makers and personal products makers started to abandon the usage of microbeads in their products and governments started to discuss the legal regulation of microbeads.

It has been reported that New Zealand will ban microbeads in make-up products in July, 2018.
"Make-up products containing tiny plastic microbeads to be banned by Govt"
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11783097

Also in the UK
"Plastic microbeads to be banned by 2017, UK government pledges"
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37263087

and in the US
"US bans microbeads from personal care products"
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/us-bans-microbeads-from-personal-care-products/9309.article

and in South Korea
"Microbeads to be banned in cosmetics products"
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160929000753

and in Taiwan
"Taiwan to ban microbeads from personal care products"
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201606080013.aspx

So what about Japan?

"Japan is lagging behind global moves to restrict microbeads to protect the planet's oceans"
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/18/national/japan-lagging-behind-global-move-restrict-microbeads-protect-planets-oceans/#.WK5r83_qHIU

Oh no...


A microbeads expert says the sea water is like a thick soup of microbeads.

Japanese people love swimming in the sea and stuffing themselves with fish, shrimps and crabs, but would you like to swim in such soup and eat fish from such water?!

It is not entirely the media's fault as NHK did have a special programme about the risks of microplastic in 'Close-up Gendai' in October, 2015.

http://www.nhk.or.jp/gendai/articles/3725/1.html

And Livedoor News had an article about microbeads in December, 2015.

http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/10910181/

So, that means there IS information. Even it is little, some information of 'good quality' exists if you look for it. I think it is our duty as citizens to keep looking for such information and that sometimes we have to raise our voice to be heard, to our local government or to the makers of cosmetics, if necessary, in order to protect ourselves.


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