Occurrence and risk assessment of microplastics from various toothpastes

Microplastics have become a major environmental issue; their release from various products affects the aquatic environment. Personal care products such as toothpastes are recently being considered as a significant source of microplastics released to the aquatic environment. This study aims to assess the presence of microplastics found in toothpastes that are available in the drugstores and markets in Istanbul, Turkey. A total of 20 samples were tested. Following the extraction procedure, obtained particles were quantified and then characterized by microscopic evaluation and surface chemistry analysis. Twenty percent of the samples were found to contain microplastics in the structure of polyethylene at concentrations varying between 0.4 and 1%. In order to evaluate the release to environment, a risk assessment was conducted and yearly microplastic emission caused by toothpaste consumption was calculated based on the results.