Glitter

For other uses, see Glitter (disambiguation).

Close-up of holographic glitter

Glitter is an assortment of flat, small, reflective particles that are precision cut and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Glitter particles reflect light at different angles, causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer. Glitter is similar to confetti, sparkles and sequins, but somewhat smaller.

Since prehistoric times, glitter has been made from many different materials including stones such as malachite, and mica,[1] as well as insects[2] and glass.[3] Uses for glitter include clothing, arts, crafts, cosmetics and body paint.[4][5] Modern glitter is usually manufactured from the combination of aluminum and plastic, which is rarely recycled and can find its way into aquatic habitats, eventually becoming ingested by animals, leading some scientists to call for bans on plastic glitter.[6][7][8][9]

  1. ^ Mangum, Aja (October 7, 2007). "Glitter: A Brief History". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  2. ^ "Beauty, Hairstyles and Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt". Facts and Details. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  3. ^ Blumenthall, Deborah (March 3, 1988). "Restoring The Glitter And Sheen Of Jewelry". New York Times. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  4. ^ Yurtsever, Meral (June 1, 2019). "Glitters as a Source of Primary Microplastics: An Approach to Environmental Responsibility and Ethics". Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. 32 (3): 459–478. Bibcode:2019JAEE...32..459Y. doi:10.1007/s10806-019-09785-0. ISSN 1573-322X. S2CID 254599065.
  5. ^ Green, Dannielle Senga; Jefferson, Megan; Boots, Bas; Stone, Leon (January 15, 2021). "All that glitters is litter? Ecological impacts of conventional versus biodegradable glitter in a freshwater habitat". Journal of Hazardous Materials. 402: 124070. Bibcode:2021JHzM..40224070G. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124070. ISSN 0304-3894. PMID 33254837. S2CID 224894411. Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  6. ^ Tagg, Alexander S.; Ivar do Sul, Juliana A. (September 1, 2019). "Is this your glitter? An overlooked but potentially environmentally-valuable microplastic". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 146: 50–53. Bibcode:2019MarPB.146...50T. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.068. ISSN 0025-326X. PMID 31426186. S2CID 196663911.
  7. ^ Gabbatiss, Josh (November 16, 2017). "Glitter should be banned over environmental impact, scientists warn". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  8. ^ Crossman, Jill; Hurley, Rachel R.; Futter, Martyn; Nizzetto, Luca (July 1, 2020). "Transfer and transport of microplastics from biosolids to agricultural soils and the wider environment". Science of the Total Environment. 724: 138334. Bibcode:2020ScTEn.72438334C. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138334. hdl:11250/2677285. ISSN 0048-9697. PMID 32408466. S2CID 216484726.
  9. ^ Green, Dannielle Senga; Jefferson, Megan; Boots, Bas; Stone, Leon (January 15, 2021). "All that glitters is litter? Ecological impacts of conventional versus biodegradable glitter in a freshwater habitat". Journal of Hazardous Materials. 402: 124070. Bibcode:2021JHzM..40224070G. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124070. ISSN 0304-3894. PMID 33254837. S2CID 224894411. Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2023.