Plastic beads commonly found in facial scrubs, soaps and toothpaste could be banned in New York, The Gothamist reported.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Long Island Assemblyman Robert K. Sweeney (D-Suffolk) on Tuesday introduced the Microbead-Free Waters Act, legislation that prohibits the sale of beauty products that contain the plastic beads in an effort to keep particles out of the state's Great Lakes and other bodies of water.
Beads are added to beauty and cosmetic products to aid "exfoliation and abrasion," The New York Times reported.
"From the Great Lakes to the Hudson River to Long Island Sound, our commitment to protecting and restoring New York's waters is among our most important responsibilities," Schneiderman said in statement.
The legislation would prohibit the production, manufacture, distribution and sale in New York of any beauty product and sale in New York of any beauty product, cosmetic or other personal care product containing plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size.
Three beauty product manufacturers - Proctor and Gamble, Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive - have made commitments to phase out microbeads in their products, according to Schneiderman.
"There are a number of natural alternatives to microbeads that will provide the results that consumers are looking for without diminishing our water quality," Sweeney in a statement.
Scientists in 2012 found "alarmingly" high levels of the plastic beads in the New York waters of Lake Erie. They have warned that the microbeads are not biodegradable and too small to be removed by the water treatment process "and end up in lakes, rivers and oceans," The Los Angeles Times reported.
Schneiderman's office said the beads could persist in the environment for centuries and accumulate toxic chemicals on their surface, threatening fish, wildlife and public health.
"When people learn more about this issue, they will be unwilling to sacrifice water quality just to continue to use products with plastic microbeads. I never met anyone who has wanted plastic on their face or in their fish," Sweeney said.
