If the sponges magical are popular for cleaning thanks to their effectiveness on stubborn tasks on many types of surfaces, they would not be “magical” for health. Although very effective, this product can present health hazards if it is for example used on hot surfaceswhich may cause the components of the sponge to melt and be absorbed by the skin. But these melamine spongeseffective on stains and scratches thanks to their unique abrasive power without any other cleaning product, could present other risks to health and the environment.
Indeed, When worn out, these magic sponges lose microplastic fibers likely to be released into the environment and reach living species, including humans. However, the United Nations (UN) website reminds us that These microplastics have been linked to serious health impactsparticularly in women, especially at the level of gene expression, of brain developmentor even of respiratory rate.
Magic Sponge: What is this abrasive cleaning tool made of?
A study published on June 6, 2024 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology ACS has tried to quantifier the amount of microplastic fibers that the magic sponge can rejectin order to better estimate its danger to health and the environment. To do this, the researchers repeatedly rubbed several sponges from three popular brands against textured metal surfaces, causing the foam to wear away.
As a reminder, these magic sponges are made of poly(melamine-formaldehyde) polymer, which is a mixture of hard plastic strands assembled in the form of a soft, light, and abrasive foam. When the sponges wear out, this foam breaks down into small pieces that can disseminate microplastic fibers into the environment, which will then be consumed by wildlife before ending up in the food chain.
Magic sponges are said to release more than a trillion microplastic fibres globally every month
At the end of their work, the researchers observed that a single magic sponge releases about 6.5 million fibers per gram of used sponge and assumed that all sponges sold are on average 10% worn. After consulting the monthly sales of this type of sponge on the Amazon site for the month of August 2023, the scientists determined that on a global scale, Melamine sponges could release more than a trillion microplastic fibers every month. Furthermore, they believe that this figure is underestimated because they only took into account one online retailer. The release of microplastic fibers by magic sponges is therefore particularly significant.
To minimize the release of microplastic fibers, researchers recommend that manufacturers create denser sponges and wear-resistantas they noted that those made from denser foam wore out more slowly. They also advise consumers to opt for more natural cleaning productswhich do not contain plastic and to install filtration systems capable of capturing the microplastic fibres released.
Sources :
- Melamine sponges shed microplastics when scrubbed – ACS – 20 juin 2024
- Mechanochemical Formation of Poly(melamine-formaldehyde) Microplastic Fibers During Abrasion of Cleaning Sponges – Environmental Science & Technology – 6 juin 2024
- Microplastics: The long-term legacy of plastic pollution – UN – 28 April 2023
