Presence of microplastic in personal care and cosmetic products from markets in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract In order to assess microplastic content in personal care products in Pakistan, 103 body scrubs and face washes were randomly selected in August-October 2021 from different markets in Jhang, Multan, and Bahawalpur in Punjab, Pakistan. It was found that 47 (45.6%) products incorporated plastic microbeads, including 44 (42.7%) products that exhibited polythene microbeads. Overall, a higher proportion of imported products exhibited plastic microbead content than locally manufactured products.