Why is there a great concern about the 'microbeads' that are released into environment?
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Answer: A. Microbeads are tiny plastic particles (under 5 mm) used in face washes and toothpastes. They pass through water treatment and reach rivers and oceans, where they absorb toxins and are eaten by fish and other marine life, harming marine ecosystems.
Watch for: Since microbeads are found in cosmetics, students guess a skin-related harm.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Wrong because there is no established link between microbeads and skin cancer in children.
- C. Wrong because the main concern is water pollution, not uptake by crop plants.
- D. Wrong because microbeads are not used as food adulterants.
Source to check: UNEP report 'Plastic in Cosmetics' (2015); Bureau of Indian Standards amendment to IS 4707 (Part 2) listing plastic microbeads as unsafe in cosmetics (November 2017)
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.