14 DAY TRIAL // An investigation whose findings are to be published in this summer's issue of the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin has revealed that body washes containing microbeads could one day destroy the US' Great Lakes.
Researchers say that most people purchase such personal care products because they like the way their skin feels after they use them.
Still, there are few who know that smooth skin more often than not comes at the expense of the environment, Scientific American explains.
The microbeads contained in body washes measure less than a millimeter in diameter. As a result, they work their way through filtering systems installed at water treatment plants.
Once they hit water sources, they disturb the natural balance of local ecosystems. What's more, they are consumed by fish, turtles and even seagulls.
Specialists are now conducting a series of experiments and hope to figure out how several animal species respond to the presence of microbeads in their bodies.