Post-Use: Down the Drain – Chemical Pollution
It’s not just packaging we have to worry about after using a product. When we wash off cosmetics, cleansers, shampoos, etc., a cocktail of chemicals goes down the drain. Modern wastewater treatment catches a lot, but not everything: - Microbeads & Microplastics: Though many countries banned plastic microbeads in rinse-off products (like scrubs and toothpaste) – the US did in 2015 – some microplastics from cosmetics still occur in other forms (like glitter, or as breakdown from packaging). These tiny particles often slip through wastewater filters and end up in rivers and oceans. Once there, they can be eaten by fish and work up the food chain. A report noted that in one study, 100% of fish and shellfish tested had microplastics in them, indicating pervasive contamination. Cosmetics are not the sole cause (tyre wear, synthetic clothing fibers, etc., are major too), but any microplastic we can eliminate (like avoiding glitter or plastic-based emulsifiers) helps reduce that load. - Wash-off Chemicals: Surfactants (from soaps, shampoos), emulsifiers, preservatives, fragrances – many of these get diluted in water and treated. But some persist or degrade into harmful substances. For example: - Sunscreens: Certain chemical UV filters (oxybenzone, octinoxate) that wash off skin in the ocean have been shown to harm coral reefs even at low concentrations. They can cause coral bleaching (they exacerbate the effect of heat by stressing corals).
That’s why places like Hawaii and Palau banned those sunscreens. It’s said that one drop of oxybenzone in 6.5 Olympic pools worth of water can start damaging corals. So imagine beaches with thousands of swimmers using these – the local concentration can get high. - Triclosan: A once-common antibacterial in soaps and some makeup (like anti-acne foundation). It’s largely phased out now (banned in US hand soaps), but when it was used, it was found to persist in the environment and accumulate in algae and fish, possibly disrupting hormones. It also contributes to antibiotic resistance. So that’s a pollutant from cosmetics (and other products) that was concerning. - Silicones: Ingredients like dimethicone in conditioners mostly bind to hair and then rinse off in water. They aren’t acutely toxic, but they don’t biodegrade. They accumulate in sludge or environment. Over time, who knows their effect? It’s somewhat inert but still, it’s persistent. -Parabens and UV filters in fish: Studies have found trace amounts of parabens (and their metabolites) and sunscreen chemicals in fish tissues – meaning they’re not fully removed by treatment and enter ecosystems.
The long-term impact? We’re still studying if they affect reproduction or growth in wildlife. - Air Pollution from Volatiles: Hairsprays, perfumes, nail polish emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Surprisingly, a study in 2018 showed that consumer products (including personal care items) now contribute as much to urban air pollution (specifically, ozone and particulate formation) as vehicle emissions in industrialized cities. That’s because tailpipes got cleaner, but our use of scented products and sprays increased. Ever walked into a makeup store and felt the smell smack? Those fumes can form smog. Ethanol in perfumes, acetone in polish, propellants in sprays – they all add up. Not to mention indoor air quality; loading up on sprays in an unventilated bathroom can exceed some VOC health guidelines briefly. - Noise Pollution? Minor, but one could even count the cumulative sound of hairdryers and such – though that’s more of an energy issue than environment per se.
Wildlife and Ecosystem Effects
When chemicals wash downstream: - Aquatic life might be feminized by xenoestrogens (some UV filters and parabens are weakly estrogenic, meaning fish could have reproductive changes). - Algae might overgrow or die off depending on sensitivity – altering food chains. - The Great Lakes in the US were found to have microplastic beads (pre-ban) and fibers in significant amounts, ingested by fish and even ending up in our beer made from that water (a study found microplastics in many beer brands sourced from Great Lakes water – cheers?). - Birds can accumulate toxins from eating contaminated fish or from preening their feathers exposed to pollutants in water.
It’s a cascade – our beauty ritual in the morning might end up affecting a fish or coral reef by night. Kind of poetic in a sad way: we cleanse ourselves and “dirty” the world.
But as we become aware
- Many of us opt for reef-safe sunscreens (non-nano zinc or titanium) to protect marine life when we swim in the ocean. - We avoid washing makeup down the sink; use a cloth then properly wash it so solids go to landfill instead of water (landfill is not great either but at least doesn’t directly hit aquatic life). - We support bans on harmful ingredients and encourage brands to innovate safer alternatives (like biodegradable glitter). - We can even use sand or salt scrubs instead of microbeads, clay masks instead of plastic sheet masks, etc.
Wastewater treatment is improving (some now try to filter microplastics with fine filters and use advanced oxidation to break down persistent chemicals), but it’s best if those pollutants never enter the water.
Related reading
Disclaimer: Educational content only. Not medical advice.