Plastic Baby Food Containers Release Millions of Microplastics and Nanoplastics, Study Finds

Kazi Albab Hussain, a PhD student studying environmental nanotechnology, became interested in the release of plastics from baby food containers after scientists discovered that plastic baby bottles shed millions of particles into formula. Concerned about the potential health effects of this plastic exposure, Hussain and his colleagues conducted a study to determine how much plastic was being released from the containers he had been buying.

The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, found that when microwaved, baby food containers released millions of microplastics and even tinier nanoplastics. The heat, UV irradiation, and chemical reaction caused by microwaving can cause a container to crack and shed tiny bits of plastic and toxic chemical components known as leachates.

These microplastics and nanoplastics can enter the body and coat themselves with proteins, slipping past the immune system undetected. They can also collect a community of microbes called the plastisphere and transport them into the body. While our kidneys can filter out larger microplastics, nanoplastics are small enough to slip across cell membranes and potentially cause harm.

The study also tested the toxic effects of the plastics on human embryonic kidney cells, finding that exposure to concentrated microplastics and nanoplastics caused about 75% of the cells to die after two days. Although the concentration used in the study was higher than what a baby would be exposed to in real life, the full extent of plastic particle accumulation over time is unknown.

The study highlights the need to understand the health effects of high levels of plastic exposure, especially for infants who are at greater risk. Exposure to microplastics has been linked to cell death, inflammation, and oxidative stress in previous studies. Chemical additives in plastics may also be toxic, although more research is needed to determine their effects.

Overall, the study emphasizes the urgent need to address the issue of plastics and their potential impact on human health.