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New research shows that baby bottles (IFB) release high levels of microplastics (PM) during formula preparation. Research also indicates a strong relationship between heat and PM release, with warmer liquids (formula or water used to sterilize baby bottles) produce a much higher PM release.
In response, the researchers involved, from AMBER, the SFI Research Center for Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research, TrinityHaus and the Trinity College Dublin Schools of Engineering and Chemistry, have developed a set of recommendations for the preparation of infant formulas when plastic IFBs are used. that minimize MP release.
Led by Dr. Jing Jing Wang, Professor John Boland, and Professor Liwen Xiao at Trinity, the team analyzed the potential for PM release from Polypropylene Infant Bottles (PP-IFB) during formula preparation following the international guidelines. They also estimated the exposure of 12-month-old babies to parliamentarians in 48 countries and regions and just published their findings in the high-profile journal. Nature food.
Key results
- PP-IFBs can release up to 16 million PM and trillions of smaller nanoplastics per liter. Sterilization and exposure to high temperature water significantly increase the release of microplastics from 0.6 million to 55 million particles / l when the temperature rises from 25 to 95 ° C
- Other polypropylene plastic products (kettles, lunch boxes) release similar levels of PM
- The team carried out a global survey and estimated the exposure of 12-month-old babies to microplastics in 48 regions. Following current guidelines1 for bottle sterilization and formula feeding, the average daily exposure level for infants is greater than 1 million PM. Oceania, North America and Europe have the highest levels of potential exposure, with 2,100,000, 2,280,000 and 2,610,000 particles / day, respectively.
- The level of microplastics released from PP-IFBs can be significantly reduced by following modified sterilization and formulating procedures.
Recommended Sterilization Procedures and Formula Preparation
- Sterilization of baby bottles
- Sterilize the bottle following the WHO recommended guidelines and allow it to cool.
- Prepare sterilized water by boiling it in a non-plastic kettle / pot (e.g. glass or stainless steel)
- Rinse the sterilized bottle with room temperature sterile water at least 3 times
Prepare infant formula
- Prepare hot water with a non-plastic kettle / pot
- Prepare infant formula in a non-plastic container using at least 70 ° C of water. Let cool to room temperature and transfer the prepared formula to a high-quality plastic baby bottle.
Standard precautions
- Do not reheat prepared formula in plastic containers and avoid microwave ovens
- Do not vigorously shake the formula in the bottle at any time.
- Do not use sonication to clean plastic baby bottles.
Studying microplastics through a scale project
There is growing evidence to suggest that micro2 and nanoplastics are released into our food and water sources through the chemical and physical degradation of larger plastic items. Some studies have shown the possible transfer of microplastics and nanoplastics from the oceans to humans through the food chain3, but little is known about the direct release of microplastics (PM) from plastic products through daily use.
Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most commonly produced plastics in the world for food preparation and storage. It is used to make everyday items such as lunch boxes, kettles and bottles (IFB). Despite its widespread use, the ability of PP to release microplastics was not appreciated until now.
Measurement of the release of polypropylene microplastics (PP-MP) from baby bottles (IFB)
Based on international guidelines for the preparation of infant formulas (cleaning, sterilization and mixing techniques), the team developed a protocol4 to quantify the PP-PM released from 10 representative baby bottles representing 68.8% of the world bottle market. .
When the role of temperature in the release of PP-MP was analyzed, a clear trend emerged; the higher the temperature of the liquid inside the bottle, the more microplastics are released.
Under a standardized protocol, after sterilization and exposure to water at 70 ° C, the PP-IFBs released up to 16.2 million PP-MP per liter. When the water temperature was raised to 95 ° C, up to 55 million PP-MPs were released per liter, whereas when PP-IFBs were exposed to water at 25 ° C, well below international guidelines for sterilization or preparation of formulas. – 600,000 PP-MP were generated per liter.
Estimation of exposure of 12-month-old infants to PM from PP-IFB
Given the widespread use of PP-IFB and the amount of PM released through normal daily use, the team realized that the potential exposure of infants to PM is a global problem. The team estimated the exposure of 12-month-old infants to PM in 48 countries and regions using the PP-IFB PM release rates, the market share of each PP-IFB, the volume of daily infant milk intake, and the rates breastfeeding.
The team found that the overall average daily consumption of PP-PM by babies per capita was 1,580,000 particles.
Oceania, North America and Europe were found to have the highest potential exposure levels corresponding to 2,100,000, 2,280,000 and 2,610,000 particles / day, respectively.
Mitigate exposure
Given the global preference for PP-IBFs, it is important to mitigate the unintended generation of micro- and nanoplastics in infant formula. Based on their findings, the team designed and tested a series of recommendations for the preparation of infant formulas that will help minimize the production of PM.
However, they note that given the prevalence of plastic products in daily food storage and food preparation, and the fact that all the PP products tested in the study (baby bottles, teapots, lunch boxes, and noodle cups) released similar levels of MP, there is an urgent need for technological solutions.
As Professor John Boland, AMBER, CRANN, and Trinity’s School of Chemistry explain:
“When we saw these results in the lab, we immediately recognized the potential impact they could have. The last thing we want is to unduly alarm parents, particularly when we don’t have enough information about the possible consequences of microplastics on children’s health.
“However, we ask policy makers to re-evaluate current guidelines for formulating when using plastic baby bottles. Crucially, we have found that it is possible to mitigate the risk of ingesting microplastics by changing practices around to sterilization and preparation of formulas. “
Professor Liwen Xiao from TrinityHaus and the Trinity School of Engineering said:
“Previous research has primarily focused on human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics through transfer from the ocean and soil into the food chain driven by the degradation of plastics in the environment.
“Our study indicates that the daily use of plastic products is a major source of microplastic release, which means that exposure routes are much closer to us than previously thought. We urgently need to assess the potential risks of microplastics to human health. Understanding their fate and transport through the body after ingestion is an important focus of future research. Determining the potential consequences of microplastics on our health is critical to managing microplastic contamination. “
Lead authors Dr. Dunzhu Li and Dr. Yunhong Shi, researchers from CRANN and the Trinity School of Engineering, said:
“We have to accept that plastics are ubiquitous in modern life and that they release micro and nano plastics through everyday use. We do not yet know the risks to human health from these tiny plastic particles, but we can develop behavioral and technological solutions and strategies to mitigate your exposure. “
Dr. Jing Jing Wang, Microplastics Group at AMBER and CRANN, said: “While this research points to the role of plastic products as a direct source of microplastics, removing microplastics from the environment and our water supplies remains a key future challenge.
“Our team will investigate specific mechanisms for the release of micro and nano plastics during food preparation in a number of different contexts. We want to develop appropriate technologies that prevent the degradation of plastics and effective filtration technologies that will remove micro and nanoplastics from our environment. on a large scale. water treatment and distribution and local use “.
This work has been carried out by the Microplastics Group led by Dr. Jing Jing Wang at AMBER and CRANN, with internal collaboration from TrinityHaus and the Trinity School of Engineering and Chemistry. This research was supported by Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, a grant from the Trinity School of Engineering, and the China Scholarship Council.
