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According to the study, bottle-fed babies consume more than 1.5 million microplastic particles every day, which are released from the bottle with frequent use. Children in developed countries are at higher risk because they are less likely to breastfeed.
For the study published Monday in the trade journal “Nature Food,” the researchers examined the top ten best-selling baby bottle models. They filled it with milk which, as recommended by the World Health Organization for sterilization, was prepared with water at 70 degrees Celsius. During a 21-day measurement phase, up to 16 million microplastic particles were released per liter.
The hotter the water, the more particles
According to the researchers’ calculations, a baby in the first twelve months of life ingests an average of 1.5 million microplastic particles per day. The results are based on baby bottle sales figures and the amount of milk consumed per day by babies in 48 countries.
The higher the degree of heating of the water, the more microplastic particles are emitted. The scientists calculated that an average of 0.6 million particles per liter are emitted at a temperature of 25 degrees, at 95 degrees there are already 55 million microplastic particles per liter.
One can prevent it
However, some measures can reduce the release of the quantity. Helps rinse bottles with cold sterile water. It would also be useful to prepare the baby milk in a container without plastic and only then put it in the bottle.
The study authors emphasized that they were not interested in worrying parents. It is about researching in a new area for which little data is currently available. “They would not know how the potential health risks of microplastics affect young children,” scientists at Trinity College Dublin told the AFP news agency.
