Babies swallow millions of microplastics per day

josh jackman
Written By
Published on 22 October 2020

Bottle-fed babies ingest millions of tiny pieces of plastic every day, according to new research.

Parents are told to prepare formula milk by sterilising plastic bottles with hot water and by shaking the bottle, but this causes bits of plastic to shed, a Nature Food study has found.

The research showed the average bottle-fed six-month-old in the UK consumes more than three million microplastics per day, and countless trillions of nanoplastics.

The Trinity College Dublin scientists used international sterilisation guidelines to test the polypropylene bottles, which constitute 82% of the global market, according to The Guardian.

Adults are at risk of unknowingly consuming plastic too. The researchers found that kettles and food containers made of polypropylene also shed millions of microplastics per litre of liquid.

The findings show it’s not just microplastics in your fish that you have to be afraid of, because plastic waste is everywhere. But is it dangerous for you or your infant child?

Quite possibly. We don’t have solid conclusions yet, but a 2018 study at Johns Hopkins and Toronto University connected low-dose exposure to microplastics to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

The researchers pointed out that “complementary bodies of evidence indicate likely exposures and potential hazards from both particles and associated chemicals.”

And the New Zealand government-funded Science Learning Hub explains that “microplastics can be retained in the gut for extended periods where they may cause abrasion and damage to internal tissues. 

“Nanoplastics can pass through the gut wall and travel to different parts of the body, such as the lungs and liver, where they can cause damage.”

Boland told The Guardian more research was needed, saying: “We have to start doing the health studies to understand the implications.”

microplastics on a fingertip

It’s not yet clear how harmful microplastics are to humans

You could follow Boland’s example and throw away your plastic containers, as they release millions of microplastics when you shake them or pour hot water into them.

The researcher explained: “I’ve already gotten rid of all those

[food]

containers I used to use and if I had young children I would modify how I prepare

[milk formula]

. The message is the precautionary principle.”

You could also use glass bottles, though these are heavier for children or tired parents to hold, and are of course breakable in potentially dangerous ways.

If you do use a plastic bottle, Boland recommends that after you’ve sterilised it, you should boil water in a non-plastic receptacle, let it cool, and use it to rinse the bottle three times.

Make the formula in a non-plastic container too, then let it cool before pouring it in.

Boland said: “That will dramatically reduce the number of microplastics.

“The last thing we want is to unduly alarm parents, particularly when we don’t have sufficient information on the potential

[health]

consequences.

“However, we are calling on policymakers to reassess the current guidelines for formula preparation when using plastic infant feeding bottles.”

Written by

josh jackman

Josh has written about and reported on eco-friendly home improvements and climate change for the past four years.

His data-driven work has featured on the front page of the Financial Times and in publications including The Independent, Telegraph, Times, Sun, Daily Express, and Fox News, earned him the position of resident expert in BT's smart home tech initiative, and been referenced in official United Nations and World Health Organisation documents.

He’s also been interviewed on BBC One's Rip-Off Britain, BBC Radio 4, and BBC Radio 5 Live as an expert on everything from renewable energy to government policy and space travel's carbon footprint, and regularly attends Grand Designs Live as a Green Living Expert, giving bespoke advice to members of the public about heat pumps and solar panels.

Josh has also used the journalistic skills he developed at The Jewish Chronicle and PinkNews to investigate and analyse every green government grant in existence, and examine the impact on the climate of cryptocurrency, Glastonbury Festival, and the World Cup.

You can get in touch with Josh via email.

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