According to researchers, plastic baby bottles emit microplastic particles

Plastic has been a part of our lives since the first PET bottles were made over 100 years ago. But did you know that the small pieces of plastic that make up a bib, bottle, or package also emit small fine particles?

Previous research Microplastics have been shown to be present almost everywhere in the environment. According to researchers, most of the plastic products we use emit these tiny fine particles on a regular basis. For example, polypropylene PET bottles and microwave oven containers are known to emit these particles. According to a new study, baby bottles are also made of polypropylene, which emits microplastic particles.

This new study by environmental engineering researchers Trinity College Dublin, And that Medical University of Vienna Shows that babies drinking from these bottles consume an average of 1 million microplastic particles per day.Research results are published in the latest issue of the journal Nature food..

Previous studies have shown that adults and children in the United States consume 74,000 to 211,000 microplastic particles annually from the food and water they consume and the air they inhale. But in this new study, the numbers are much higher.

Baby bottle microplastic

This study happened by accident when one of the researchers poured boiling water into a plastic container to make instant noodles. It looked hard at first, but when hot water was poured, it became more malleable and softer. Researchers were curious and wondered if microplastics were being released in the process. This raised the suspicion that the inside of the plastic might be releasing fine particles of plastic into food. According to laboratory research, the container released over 1 million microplastics per liter of hot water.

This started a series of tests where the team examined other polypropylene containers such as PET bottles. At room temperature, they released less particulates, they said. They write that heating increased the number of microplastic particles released. They concluded that heat was an important factor.

Next, we tested polypropylene baby bottles. They write that this is one of the plastic containers that have been repeatedly exposed to heat. Next, they searched for baby bottles made in 48 different regions of the world, covering about 78% of the world’s population. The authors of the study found that 83 percent of babies and feeding bottles used for babies are made of polypropylene.

test

Next, 10 different baby bottles were lab tested. In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) established specific rules for preparing formulas for baby bottles at home. The team followed these guidelines while testing the bottles in the lab.

Here are some steps to prepare the formula:

• cleaning
• Sterilization
• Mix and shake the formula

Procedures, controls, and tests have been rigorously performed to ensure that no errors occur. Testing was also repeated using an independent lab for verification. The results of the lab were similar to those found in this study.

Survey results

Sterilization process

During sterilization, bottle parts are often disassembled and placed in a pot filled with boiling water. In most cases, the temperature is around 95 ° C. Researchers have found that this increases microplastic emissions by 35%.

Formulation process

They performed these steps on 10 bottles and found that up to 16 million particles were released per liter of water at 70 ° C. These particles were found to be less than 20 micrometers in diameter and appeared flaky under the microscope. The surface was rough and the average thickness was about 1/10 of the width.

As the water temperature rose from the recommended 70 ° C to 95 ° C, the emission of microplastics also increased from 6 million particles per liter to 55 million particles. The team explained that 95 ° C is the temperature of recently boiled water and is commonly used in the preparation of infant formula.

Reduce exposure

This study shows that infants drinking polypropylene bottles may be consuming more microplastic particles than previously known. Infants around the world consume an average of 1.6 million polypropylene microplastic particles daily.

Researchers recommend specific ways to reduce exposure to microplastics. Includes several methods:

• Sterilized baby bottles should be rinsed with cold sterile water before preparing the prescription.
• Formulated milk should be prepared in a non-plastic container.
• When the formula reaches room temperature, it is suitable for sterilization and then transfer to a chilled bottle.
• Do not reheat formulas prepared in PET bottles using a microwave oven.

“At this point, don’t be afraid … but it’s an open question and definitely unfulfilled,” said Philip Schwabble, a doctor and researcher at the Medical University of Vienna and the lead author of the study. [research] necessary. “

Professor John Boland, co-author of a chemistry and materials science researcher at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, added: [health] result. However, we are calling on policy makers to reassess current guidelines for preparing infant formula when using plastic baby bottles. “He added.