How Your Glittery Christmas Toys And Make-up Are Ruining The Oceans

Glitter basically consists of small and shiny pieces of plastic, called microplastic. It might look pretty on Christmas trees or in nail polish, but these teeny tiny shiny things are an environmental hazard, according to scientists.

"I was quite concerned when somebody bought my daughters some shower gel that had glitter particles in it," said Richard Thompson, a professor at Plymouth University who led a study examining how plastics affected marine environments."That stuff is going to escape down the plughole and potentially enter the environment," he said.

Microplastics have long been known to pollute marine environments, leak chemicals into the water and pose harm to marine life if they are ingested.