Today's KNOWLEDGE Share :Microplastic fibres released from cleaning sponge

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Commonly used cleaning product releases millions of microplastic fibres

A study has demonstrated that one single sponge can release millions of microplastic fibres that could end up inside the body.

Researchers from the School of Energy and Environment at Southeast University, China, have analysed how much microplastic a specific and common type of cleaning product releases. The result was 1.5+ trillion particles a month on a global scale.

Researchers: trillions of fibres released from cleaning sponge

The popular melamine sponge was the subject of the researchers' study.

They examined sponges from different brands and rubbed them against the same surface.

In doing so, they determined that one single sponge released approximately 6.5 million fibres for every g they were worn down.

To calculate how many microplastic fibres are shed globally every month, the researchers estimated that all sponges wear down by an average of 10 %.

This data, combined with sales figures from global online retailer Amazon, prompted the researchers to conclude that 1.55 trillion fibres could potentially be released from melamine sponges every month.

Why it can be harmful to your health

Science Illustrated has previously described how microplastics find their way into the human body - either through the air or via what we eat and drink.

When a melamine sponge is used or rubbed against a surface, it eventually breaks down into smaller pieces that release microplastics.

The microplastics can then be flushed into the sewage system and eventually ingested by fish or other animals, which is how the fibres enter the food chain. This could ultimately affect humans who eat fish or other foods, absorbing the microplastics.

However, the researchers' results also indicated that dense sponges both decomposed more slowly and released fewer fibres than sponges whose foam was less dense.

Their advice is to use dense sponges or natural cleaning products, of which there are many on the market, to avoid too much microplastic ending up in nature.

The study has been published in ACS Journals.

source:scienceillustrated.com