Contact lenses poison the World Ocean, American scientists have found out. The plastic from which the lenses are made is eaten by sea inhabitants, passing it up the food chain – a large land animal and a man.
Only in the US in sewers, and after – in sewage, get 6-10 tons of contact lenses annually. This is 15-20% of all lenses used by Americans. 9 out of 45 million lens users in America carelessly wash them in a sink or toilet bowl.
The treatment facilities do not interfere with the way the lenses enter the ocean – the filters either do not recognize them at all, or they are crushed into even smaller particles.
The case in the composition of lenses – instead of massively used polypropylene, they are made of a mixture of Plexiglas, silicones and fluoroplastics. Experiments have shown that anaerobic and aerobic microbes in sewage treatment plants can not destroy plastic lenses, but only weaken the bonds between polymers.
The authors note that the owners of lenses simply do not know how to properly dispose of them and what harm they do to nature – the information is not indicated on the product packaging. Meanwhile, to protect the ocean from contact lenses is very easy – just throw them into the garbage can along with other solid waste.
Only in the US in sewers, and after – in sewage, get 6-10 tons of contact lenses annually. This is 15-20% of all lenses used by Americans. 9 out of 45 million lens users in America carelessly wash them in a sink or toilet bowl.
The treatment facilities do not interfere with the way the lenses enter the ocean – the filters either do not recognize them at all, or they are crushed into even smaller particles.
The case in the composition of lenses – instead of massively used polypropylene, they are made of a mixture of Plexiglas, silicones and fluoroplastics. Experiments have shown that anaerobic and aerobic microbes in sewage treatment plants can not destroy plastic lenses, but only weaken the bonds between polymers.
The authors note that the owners of lenses simply do not know how to properly dispose of them and what harm they do to nature – the information is not indicated on the product packaging. Meanwhile, to protect the ocean from contact lenses is very easy – just throw them into the garbage can along with other solid waste.
Tags
Health