Deadly weapon for babies? Study revealed huge amount of microplastics in baby bottles
Scientists suggest that an additional wash step can cut through the microplastics produced during regular formula preparation
Bottle-fed babies can ingest up to more than a million microplastics each day. This was determined by a study published by the journal Nature Food described as a “milestone” in understanding human exposure to small plastics.
The research subjected different models of polypropylene bottles to the process recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The procedure consists of sterilizing and preparing the formula with water heated to 70ºC, to eliminate dangerous bacteria.
Scientists found that the high temperature recommended for sterilizing bottles and preparing formula milk caused the bottles to dump millions of microplastics and billions of even smaller nanoplastics, reported The Guardian.
The study specified that the tested bottles represent 82% of the world market. Polypropylene is one of the most widely used plastics and preliminary tests found that even food packaging also produced millions of microplastics.
It was already known that microplastics in the environment contaminate the food and beverages consumed by humans. However, this research showed that preparing food in plastic containers can lead to a thousand times greater exposure.
Although the study did not delve into the health impacts, it did establish the “urgent need” to assess the problem, especially for the sake of infants.
How microplastics were detected
The investigation began with an accidental finding. A researcher developing filters to sterilize baby bottles found that his products became clogged with microplastics. By searching for their origin, the particles were traced back to the polypropylene lab.
So the team followed international sterilization guidelines to make baby formula in 10 different bottles. They were sterilized with water at 95 ° C (203 ° F) and then the powdered milk formula was shaken with water at 70 ° C inside the bottle.
Both the hot water step and the shaking of the milk formula inside it, produced millions of microplastics much smaller than the width of a human hair. Besides, they also observed the presence of nanoplastics. Although these are so small and difficult to count, scientists estimated that trillions were produced per liter of liquid.
Next, they combined their data with rates of bottle feeding and milk intake in 48 regions, covering three-quarters of the world’s population. On average, they estimated that babies are exposed to 1.6 million microplastic particles — per day — during their first year when they are fed from plastic bottles.
The United States and European countries had the highest levels: 2.3 million microplastics per day in North America and 2.6 million in Europe. This is because both regions have the highest levels of bottle feeding and breastfeeding is in second place.
Can the level of contamination be reduced?
Scientists suggest that an additional wash step can cut through the microplastics produced during regular formula preparation. The process consists of boiling water in a non-plastic container and when it is cold, rinse the bottle three times after sterilizing it. Likewise, the formula should also be made in a non-plastic container, wait for it to cool, and then transfer it to the sterilized bottle.
“That will drastically reduce the amount of microplastics”, said one of the researchers, John Boland, of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.
“The last thing we want is to unduly alarm parents, especially when we don’t have enough information about the possible [health] consequences. However, we are asking legislators to re-evaluate current guidelines for formula preparation when using plastic baby bottles”, he explained.
The study offers other solutions like using glass bottles, even though they are heavier for babies and can break. They also mentioned -although at an industrial level- developing new resistant coatings to prevent plastics from shedding particles.
Regarding this last recommendation, Boland recalled that plastics are “wonderful” materials with many useful applications: “So the reality is that they are here to stay and we will have to make them safer and more resistant”.
What happens with microplastics
In statements to the AFP agency, Boland also expressed himself “astonished” by the amount of microplastics that baby bottles produce. “A 2019 study by the WHO estimated that adults consumed between 300 and 600 microplastics per day. Our average values (from milk bottles) were in the order of a million”, he explained.
“We have to start doing health studies to understand the implications. We are already working with colleagues to see which ‘buttons’ on the immune system are being pressed by these particles”, indicated Boland.
Although he admitted that the human body expels many of these particles, he also stated that it is necessary to determine how many can be absorbed into the bloodstream and travel to other parts of the body.
“I already got rid of all those [food] containers that I used to use. And if I had young children it would change the way I prepare [milk formula]”, Boland emphasized. “The message is the precautionary principle”.
A call for caution
It is widely known that humans consume and inhale microplastics through food and water. They are elements that daily pollute the planet, from arctic snow and alpine soils to the deepest oceans. Scientists worry that these particles could carry pathogens or toxic chemicals into the body.
Professor Liwen Xiao from Trinity College spoke on the subject. “Our study indicates that these products (baby bottles) are an important source of microplastics. That means the routes of exposure are much closer to us than previously thought”.
Overall, a 12-month-old baby consumes an average of 1.5 million microplastics daily, according to the researchers’ calculations.
In this regard, the scientist Philipp Schwabl, from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, who is not part of the research team of the study published in Nature Food, called this finding an important but not conclusive milestone. “The scale of exposure to microplastics presented here may seem alarming, but the real-world effects on children’s health require further investigation”.
Meanwhile, Oliver Jones of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, noted that the exposure levels of infants were estimates, not measurements. “We shouldn’t make parents feel bad about using plastic bottles. However, this study illustrates that the problem of microplastics is probably much bigger than we think. It’s something we really have to start dealing with”.
