2023-07-23 07:03:27
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A study warned that heating food and drink for children in the microwave in plastic containers may pose health risks. Because it contains huge amounts of small plastic particles.
The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, found that plastic packaging for microwaved baby food can release huge numbers of plastic particles.
Worryingly, these packages leak more than two billion nanoplastics and four million microplastics per square centimeter of them in some cases.
Kidney cell death
Although the health effects of consuming micro and nanoplastics are still unclear, the research team also found that such exposure could lead to kidney cell death just two days after they were introduced to the same particles.
Also read:
You wouldn’t believe how much plastic people swallow and inhale every day!
“When we eat certain foods, we are generally informed or have an idea about their calorie content, sugar levels, and other nutrients,” said Qazi Albab Hussain, lead author of the study. I think it’s equally important to be aware of how many microplastics are in our food.”
“Just as we understand the impact of calories and nutrients on our health, knowing the extent of microplastic ingestion is critical in understanding the potential harm they may cause,” he added.
He continued, according to the newspaper “Express”: “Many studies, including ours, show that the toxicity of micro and nanoplastics is closely related to the level of exposure.”
What did the results show?
Hussain conducted a study on a type of packaging made of polypropylene and a reusable bag made of polyethylene – both plastics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
In one experiment, the team filled the containers with water or a substance that was supposed to mimic dairy products, fruits and vegetables and then heated them at full power for three minutes in a 1,000-watt microwave.
Next, they analyzed the fluids for evidence of micro and nanoplastics and found that children who microwaved water-containing products and toddlers who microwaved dairy products consumed the greater relative concentrations of plastic.
Moreover, experiments designed to simulate refrigeration and room temperature storage of food or drink over a period of six months also indicate that both can lead to the release of micro- and nanoplastics.
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Micro and nanoplastics
“As far as my child is concerned, I couldn’t completely avoid using plastic,” Hussain said. But I was able to avoid those[scenarios]that would cause more micro and nanoplastics to be released. People deserve to know those too, and they should choose wisely.”
Even worse, the researchers also showed that only 23 percent of kidney cells managed to survive two days after exposure to particles emitted from multiple canisters.
Which simulate concentrations that infants and young children may accumulate over the course of days or from multiple sources.
The researchers believe that kidney cells may be more susceptible to the particles than other cell types, but this is just one question among many that requires further research.
The research team stated that the following studies should focus on identifying the true risks of consuming micro and nanoplastics.
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