According to a study, microbeads that are found in personal care products are entering the Atlantic Ocean after coming from the state's sewage treatment plants. This could prove harmful for sea life. The study has been released by the state attorney general in favor of his push for a ban on the tiny plastic particles throughout the state.

According to New York's attorney general, it has been observed in some preliminary tests that microbeads are passing through several sewage treatment plants of the state and are entering waterways.

These microbeads are the tiny plastic abrasives, which are an ingredient in shampoo, makeup and other personal care products. As per the attorney general's office, the tiny beads could affect wildlife adversely when they are consumed and they also attract toxic chemicals to their surfaces.

Small treated samples taken from 34 municipal and private treatment plants were analyzed in the testing by Professor Sherri Mason at the State University at Fredonia. Microbeads were observed in 74% of the samples.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the results show that the plastic pollution is released from the state's 600 sewage treatment plants. Schneiderman has proposed legislation so as to ban beauty products with plastic particles, which are less than 5 millimeters in size.

According to Schneiderman, it is confirmed by report that from Lake Erie to Long Island Sound, microbeads are entering into waterways across New York State.

He also said, “New York has been at the forefront of national progress when it comes to combating plastic pollution, and we need to continue this leadership by preventing microbeads from contaminating our waterways, and threatening the health of both New Yorkers and their environment”.