COLIN PERRY
News Editor
Four years ago, few people knew what microbeads were or how much they threatened the world’s waterways. Now, just a few years later, the tiny plastic beads that Americans usually find in their toothpaste or exfoliating scrubs are now banned. This is largely thanks to research conducted at Fredonia by chemistry professor Sherri Mason.
“The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015” was signed into law by President Barack Obama last December, following several studies by Mason and others which confirmed that microbeads slip right past filtration systems to pollute the nation’s water. The law, passed with bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, bans both the manufacture and sale of any products containing the microbeads in the United States.
In a phone conversation, Mason, who first surveyed the microbead problem in 2012, was surprised by how quickly her research led to national legislation. She identified a number of factors for its success, chief among them being popular outcry.
“I think people didn’t realize that there was plastic in our personal care products,” Mason said. “People kind of innately don’t want plastic in their toothpaste. As soon as you tell somebody they’re washing their face with plastic, they’re immediately horrified.”
Mason also said that “ultimately, industry does cower to the bottom line. When people are not buying their product and people are upset and vocal about it … they will respond.”
However, while the law passed at the end of last year, it will not be implemented fully for more than two years. The ban on manufacturing products with microbeads begins July 1, 2017, with the ban on their sale to follow exactly a year later. Mason acknowledged this gradual pace of change as a byproduct of industry concerns.
“The environmentalist in me says, ‘This needs to change tomorrow’ but … I understand it takes time for industry to change over sourcing and change over lines, so there’s going to be a difference in how they can manufacture their products,” Mason said.
But, she added, people who want change quicker “can choose already to make that change. As an individual, when you go to buy your groceries, you can choose not to buy those.”
Junior environmental science major Kayla Anderson called the law via email “common sense” and said that Mason’s role in getting it passed made her proud of her own academic decisions.
“Dr. Mason’s research just goes to show that one person can make the difference,” Anderson said. “It should encourage all of us to not just settle into the standard, but to go above and beyond for what we believe in … The fishes will thank you.”
The Microbead-Free Waters Act is recognized by many as an important step in curbing plastic pollution throughout the United States, but Mason’s work is far from over. During her sabbatical this semester, she’s conducting a two-part study which examines both the effect plastic beads have on aquatic life when eaten and how plastic degrades in freshwater.
“The issue is much bigger than microbeads. The issue is plastic pollution,” Mason said. “Microbeads are a type and are significant, but they’re not the biggest and they’re not the only.”
But regardless of its scope or timeline, the Microbead-Free Waters Act is still an important piece of legislation, for the world and for Mason personally.
“As an environmental scientist, I got into this at the age of 10, with the intent of wanting to protect the environment,” Mason said. “To have something that I worked on actually given so much attention and create change in the world, it really is a dream come true.”