- A new study reveals that children who feed on bottles devour millions of microplastics a day and billions of them per liter of nanoplastic during the day. This is much more than was thought and has to do with the forms of sterilization of bottles and formula milk preparation. “The problem is much more serious than we thought and we would have to look at how it affects the health of boys and girls.”
The study was carried out using polypropylene bottles, the most commonly used plastic, representing 82% of the market, and was carried out at the usual temperatures of bottle sterilization and formula milk preparation. In contact with these high temperatures, scientists have discovered that the bottle releases millions of microplastics and millions of trillions of nanoplastics, whose concern is for the child to acquire pathogens and toxic chemicals by swallowing them.
In addition to the bottle, the preparation of food in plastic containers also releases microplastics in similar quantities, according to a study published in the journal Nature Food.
Not 300 to 600 microplastics a day, but millions.
Last year, the World Health Organization estimated that humans consumed between 300 and 600 microplastics a day. The difference with the new research is remarkable. “It’s not our intention to alarm parents, especially because we don’t have enough information about the possible consequences, but what we want is to analyze the issue in depth and take the necessary steps.”
How to Avoid Bottle Microplastics
Scientists have given two recommendations to avoid the microplastics that the bottle releases. One, re-clean the bottle after sterilizing it: once sterilized, place the boiling water in a container other than plastic, cool the water and wash the bottle well with that water. “This will dramatically reduce the number of microplastics.” Another alternative is the use of glass bottles.