Evaluating alternatives to plastic microbeads in cosmetics
Evaluating alternatives to plastic microbeads in cosmetics
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DOI：
10.1038/s41893-020-00651-w
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发表时间：
2020-12-14
影响因子：
27.6
通讯作者：
Voulvoulis, Nikolaos
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hunt, Claire F.;Lin, Wilson H.;Voulvoulis, Nikolaos
禁止销售含有塑料微珠的冲洗型化妆品以保护环境，需要了解潜在替代品的生命周期环境影响。通过比较替代品的环境性能，这项研究发现了可行的替代品和那些有负面影响的替代品。在我们急于禁止或管制不可持续和破坏环境的材料和化学品时，我们可能会忽视其替代品带来的危险。鉴于有关微塑料在海洋环境中的归宿、持久性和毒性的科学证据，许多国家已禁止销售含有塑料微珠的洗去型化妆品，以防止其释放到环境中。然而，尚未考虑到潜在替代品的更广泛的生命周期环境影响，必须注意使用它们的环境成本不会超过禁令带来的好处。在这项研究中，我们使用生命周期评估来比较广泛的潜在替代品的环境性能。该研究调查了所需这些材料的数量及其制造、运输和包含在化妆品中对人类健康和环境的影响。我们强调，这些废物的处置对环境和人类健康的长期影响尚不清楚，因此被排除在生命周期评估之外。为了支持化妆品中塑料微珠的负责任替代品，我们确定了几种性能更好的替代品，以及可能带来额外风险和不良影响的替代品。
Banning the sale of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads to protect the environment requires understanding the lifetime environmental impacts of potential substitutes. By comparing the environmental performance of alternatives, this study finds viable substitutes and those with adverse effects.In our haste to ban or regulate unsustainable and environmentally damaging materials and chemicals, we may overlook dangers posed by their substitutes. In light of the scientific evidence regarding the fate, persistence and toxicity of microplastics in the marine environment, many countries have banned the sale of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads to prevent their release to the environment. However, the wider lifetime environmental impacts of the potential substitutes have not been considered, and care must be taken so that the environmental costs of using them do not potentially outweigh the benefits resulting from the bans. In this study, we use life cycle assessment to compare the environmental performance of a wide range of potential alternatives. The study investigates the quantities of these materials required and the human health and environmental impacts of their manufacture, transport and inclusion in cosmetics. We highlight that the long-term environmental and human health effects of their disposal are unknown and are thus excluded from the life cycle assessment. In support of the responsible replacement of plastic microbeads in cosmetics, we identify several alternatives that will perform better, as well as substitutes that could pose additional risks and have undesirable effects.