The dangers of glitter that has nothing to do with microplastics

Last September European Union decided to ban the use glitter that is not biodegradable. This is one of many measures that are being gradually taken to minimize the release of microplastics into aquatic ecosystems. However, thanks to a new study by Brazilian scientists, we now know that microplastic they weren’t the only ones problem with shine.

If you look closely, these glitter particles used in makeup, crafts, and countless applications often have a metallic coating. This is usually done based on aluminum, bismuth, iron or titanium and can create a dangerous domino effect that starts with aquatic plants and ends with much of the animals that live in their ecosystems.

Fortunately, biodegradable options which are being developed as an alternative do not have this metal cover. However, it’s good to know that microplastics aren’t the only problem with glitter, so it’s important to analyze all of its ingredients before selling it. After all, not all territories followed the initiative of the European Union.

A much lesser known problem with glitter

Regular glitter consists of very small particles, sometimes even less than a millimeter in diameter. The two main materials are plastic and metal cover. This is usually the type of plastic. Mylar. This means that they are very small pieces of polyester sheet made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET). As for the metal cap, as we have already seen, it is usually made of iron, aluminum, bismuth or titanium.

We know well the harm of microplastics. Despite their small size, they can take centuries to decompose, so they accumulate in ecosystems, both terrestrial and aquatic, creating real problems for the species that live in them. The most studied are damages occurring in the aquatic environment. Once there, they easily pass into the body types of filter feed and from there to all the animals that feed on them. Its concentration in the body of these animals is becoming greater and may become toxic. In addition, they can reach humans through food.

What happens to metals? The problem with glitter is that it blocks light from reaching aquatic plants. Just like land animals, they get their food through photosynthesis. To do this, they need water, which they have more than enough of, nutrients obtained from the seabed and sunlight. It should reach the seabed without problems, unless there are substances that make it opaque, such as oil spills. In the case of metallic sheen, the problem is that light is reflected in this, so to speak, very grosso modeit bounces and does not sink to the bottom of the sea.

The first blow to the domino effect

This new problem with glitter was discovered by scientists from Federal University of San Carlos. For their experiments, they used cultures of an aquatic plant known as Brazilian water weed (dense egeria). In particular, they incubated 400 pieces of this plant in jars with water extracted from a Brazilian reservoir. These tubes were divided into two groups. In the first, nothing else was added, and in the second, glitter particles with a surface area of ​​0.14 square millimeters were added to a concentration 0.04 grams per liter. The experiment was also carried out in both light and darkness.

Thus, it was clear that when mixed with glitter, a significant part of the light was lost when it hit the metal. In fact, the rate of photosynthesis in plants was 1.54 times less than in jars to which no glitter particles were added.

It is logical that this is a problem with aquatic plants, but the problem does not end there. These types serve food, shelter, shade and a source of oxygen for many species of animals on the seabed. So if they fall, so will the others, as if they were dominoes.

In addition, many of these aquatic plants are very useful in phytoremediation, to remove contaminants from water. All this shows that the problem with glitter is much bigger than we might have thought, and that microplastics are not the only culprit. Let’s hope this mode of production quickly fades into oblivion so that we can soon shine without harming any ecosystem.