Environmental scientists are urging lawmakers around the world to ban glitter from being used in art supplies because of the damage glitter particles do to the environment.
Scientists are particularly concerned that the plastic particles that make up glitter would pollute the environment and poison the animals who eat from it, CBS Philadelphia reported.
Dr. Trisia Farrelly, an environmental anthropologist at Massey University in New Zealand, says she wants to see glitter banned because of the damage it does to the ecosystem.
“I think all glitter should be banned because it’s microplastic,” she said.
Professor Richard Thompson carried out a study in the United Kingdom which found that one-third of the fish caught there ingested plastic particles.
“I was quite concerned when somebody bought my daughters some shower gel that had glitter particles in it,” Thompson told the Independent. “That stuff is going to escape down the plughole and potentially enter the environment.”
The National Ocean Service says that these microplastics, or tiny plastic particles, could pollute oceans and lakes. The majority of these microplastics come from microbeads found in beauty products such as shampoos and soaps.
The beads often slip through water filtration systems and trickle into lakes and oceans.
The BBC reports that some British day cares banned the use of glitter art supplies because of the “terrible damage” it does to the planet.
Seven U.S. states have banned the use of microbeads in body washes and gels. California became the first state to ban microbeads in 2015.
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