MICROPLASTICS: APPLICATIONS IN THE COSMETIC INDUSTRY AND IMPACTS ON THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT

Environmental pollution from plastics and microplastics is currently one of the most relevant issues of the scientific community and cosmetic industry. In particular, microplastics are referred to as small pieces of plastic less than five millimeters (<5mm) and do not dissolve in water, can be harmful to the ocean and aquatic life. Microplastics can be designated as i) primary - particles that are intentionally developed as micro sized plastic particles used in cosmetic formulations like microbeads, and ii) secondary microplastics - stem from all kinds of plastic material debris result of decomposition caused by UV radiation, mechanical stress (ocean waves) and wind action. This article gives an overview about plastics/microplastics, that are mainly used in personal care products and cosmetic. Moreover, we attempt to demonstrated some of the major problems that microplastics based materials can cause in the aquatic life leading to a human health concern. In this context, the interaction between microplastic-contaminants and possible effects in the environment or organisms was explore based on the literature analysis.

当前，塑料与微塑料（microplastics）引发的环境污染是科学界与化妆品行业共同关注的核心议题之一。具体而言，微塑料指尺寸小于5毫米（<5mm）的塑料碎片，无法溶于水，会对海洋及水生生物造成危害。微塑料可分为两类：其一为初级微塑料——指为制备微珠等化妆品配方原料而特意开发的微米级塑料颗粒；其二为次级微塑料——由各类塑料材料碎片经紫外线辐射、机械应力（海浪）与风力作用分解产生的残骸。本文概述了主要应用于个人护理产品与化妆品中的塑料/微塑料相关内容。此外，本文旨在阐述基于微塑料的材料对水生生物造成的主要危害，进而对人类健康构成潜在风险。在此背景下，本文基于文献分析，探讨了微塑料-污染物复合物与环境或生物体间的相互作用及其潜在影响。