title: Evidence of microbeads from personal care product contaminating the sea.
abstract: Plastic microbeads in personal care products have been identified as a source of marine pollution. Yet, their existence in the environment is rarely reported. During two surface manta trawls in the coastal waters of Hong Kong, eleven blue, spherical microbeads were captured. Their sizes (in diameters) ranged from 0.332 to 1.015mm. These microbeads possessed similar characteristics in terms of colour, shape and size with those identified and extracted from a facial scrub available in the local market. The FT-IR spectrum of the captured microbeads also matched those from the facial scrub. It was likely that the floating microbeads at the sea surface originated from a facial scrub and they have bypassed or escaped the sewage treatment system in Hong Kong. Timely voluntary or legislative actions are required to prevent more microbeads from entering the aquatic environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
authors.forename: Pui Kwan
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: lfok@ied.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Lincoln
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fok
mesh_terms: D003358:Cosmetics / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006723:Hong Kong; D008863:Microspheres; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D010969:Plastics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Hong Kong; Microbeads; Microplastics; Personal care and cosmetic products