New Research: Dropped Contact Lens Eventually Forming Plastic Particles May Cause Water Pollution

"Meitong" can make eyes appear big and bright, which is a must for many women who love beauty. However, a new study recently released at the annual meeting and exhibition of the American Chemical Society reminds people not to throw away used contact lenses such as "Meitong" so as not to pollute the rivers with plastic particles. Researchers from Arizona State University in the United States found that about 45 million people wear contact lenses in the United States, of which 15% to 20% will throw the used contact lenses into the toilet or sink. It is estimated that the total weight of contact lenses entering the US sewer is 6 to 10 tons per year. Contact lenses are usually made of materials such as silicon hydrogel and belong to plastics. Researchers selected five common contact lens materials in the market, exposed them to anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms used in sewage treatment plants, and then detected them with Raman spectrometer. They found that after long-term treatment by microorganisms used in sewage treatment plants, contact lenses undergo physical degradation and eventually form plastic particles. These plastic particles will be discharged into the natural environment along with the treated sewage, posing a threat to aquatic organisms. Charlie Rolskay of Arizona State University, who participated in the study, said aquatic organisms mistook plastic particles for food, but plastic cannot be digested, so this will inevitably affect its digestive system. Some aquatic organisms will eventually enter the human food supply chain, which means that human beings may come into contact with these plastic particles and pollutants attached to the surface of the particles. Researchers called on contact lens manufacturers to add reminders to their packaging to remind people not to throw discarded contact lenses into sewers but to dispose of them together with other solid waste. (Source: China Plastics Technology Network, China Plastics machinery network)