The presence of microplastics in personal care and cosmetic products (PCCPs) commonly used in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

Microplastics pollution poses a global environmental challenge due to its well-documented effects on marine ecosystems and the food chain for humans. Personal care and cosmetic products (PCCPs), have the potential to be a source of microplastics, which directly contribute to aquatic microplastics pollution. This study investigated the presence of microplastics in widely used PCCPs in Ho Chi Minh City. The microplastics concentration in 21 samples of toothpaste, exfoliating products, facial cleansers, shower gels, and hand sanitizers were examined. The PCCPs samples were dissolved in boiling water and then filtered to separate microplastics. The chemical composition of polymers of extracted microplastics was determined using a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with ATR. We found that 14 PCCPs samples contained microplastics as an ingredient. Granular form microplastics were predominant in PCCPs. The largest size of microplastics was found in an exfoliating product (40-2,085μm), while the smallest size was observed in toothpaste (10-380μm). Acrylates copolymers were a common ingredient in the 14 PCCPs samples. Carbomer, polyethylene, and polyethylene glycol were only found in toothpaste samples. The research aims to regulate the components in different types of PCCPs in Vietnam to minimize microplastics discharge into the environment.