Scientists Warn of Harmful Release from ‘Magic’ Sponges

A common household cleaning tool could be exposing you to trillions of microplastics every month, new research suggests.

Melamine sponges, also known as “magic” sponges, are made of a network of hard plastic strands assembled into a lightweight foam. The foam is surprisingly abrasive, which makes it a perfect material for scrubbing sponges. However, as they are scrubbed, the foam breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces.

These tiny plastic particles, known as microplastics, get released into our environment and can eventually make their way into the water supply and the food chain.

Our understanding of the impacts of these particles on the human body is still in its early days, but we do know that they contain chemicals that have been shown to disrupt our body’s natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They may also carry toxic compounds on their surface, like heavy metals.

In a new study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, researchers from Nanjing University in China compared the release of the microplastic particles from different magic sponge brands. They found that those made of denser foam wore down more slowly and produced fewer microplastic fibers than those that were less dense.

When comparing across all sponge densities the team found that, on average, a single sponge releases approximately 6.5 million fibers per gram of worn-out sponge. By using data from Amazon to assess monthly sales, and assuming that all sponges were worn down by roughly 10 percent, the team calculated that roughly 1.55 trillion microplastic fibers could be released from these “magic” sponges every single month.

“[Our results] suggest a global overall emission of 4.9 trillion microplastic fibers due to sponge consumption,” the researchers write.

This number only takes into account one online retailer, so the actual number might be even higher.

“Our study reveals a hitherto unrecognized source of the environmental microplastic fiber contamination and highlights the need to evaluate exposure risks associated with these new forms of microplastic fibers.”

The authors add that manufacturers should minimize their microplastic emissions by creating denser, tougher sponges that are more resistant to wear. Additionally, they suggest that consumers should opt for natural cleaning products that are not based on plastics.

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