Boise Dentist Blog
The professional blog of Doctors Dan Bruce, Steve Bruce, Rosa Pothier and Rob Ririe
Pieces of plastic in your toothpaste?
You may be unknowingly contributing to ocean pollution every time you brush your teeth or wash your face. Many personal care products and cosmetics contain small pieces of plastic called microbeads. These microbeads are not filtered out by wastewater treatment systems and end up in our waterways and oceans where they are consumed by fish and other marine wildlife. The microbeads may contain toxins such as motor oil, flame retardants, and pesticides, and these toxins are then absorbed by the fish that eat them.
It is not necessary to use microbeads and many safe, natural alternatives exist. The presence of microbeads in some products is another good reason to choose a natural toothpaste!
Greenpeace is leading a campaign to ban microbeads by urging people to support the Microbead Free Waters Act. For more information, check out their website at http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/