Bottle-Fed Babies Swallow Millions Of Microplastics In A Day, Reveals Study

A new study in the journal Nature Food finds that bottle-fed infants around the world may be swallowing more than 1.5 million particles of microplastics per day on average. To establish context, on an average a child swallows 3.1 million microplastic by the time they are 12 years of age in the UK, 2.5 million in US and 1.8 million in Brazil.

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The research is being described as a ¡°milestone¡± in the understanding of human exposure to tiny plastics.

What is leading babies to swallow plastic?

Scientists found that the recommended high-temperature process for sterilising plastic bottles and preparing formula milk (heating milk, with cerelac or crushed biscuits) caused bottles to shed millions of microplastics and trillions of even smaller nanoplastics. The heating procedure leads to a greater release of the minuscule fragments. Micro (and even tinier nano) plastics are released into our food and water systems through the breakdown of larger plastic waste.

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The study looked at the release of microplastics from feeding bottles made with polypropylene. Polypropylene is one of the most widely used types of plastic in the world, particularly for food prep and storage items like lunch boxes, kettles and infant-feeding bottles. However, its capacity to release microplastics has not been fully appreciated, the research team noted. Researchers estimated the exposure of 12-month-old infants to microplastics in 48 countries and regions.

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Key findings

• People were already known to consume microplastics via food and water, and to breathe them in. In particular, tea brewed using plastic-based teabags and drinking water sold in plastic bottles have been found to contain microplastics. Scientists are concerned that microplastics may carry pathogens or toxic chemicals into the body.
• Baby bottles made with polypropylene can release up to 16 million microplastics, and trillions of even smaller nanoplastics, per litre;
• Sterilisation in hot water significantly increases microplastic release from 0.6 million to 55 million particles per litre, when temperature increases from 25C to 95C;
• The average daily exposure level for infants is more than 1 million microplastics, with Oceania, North America and Europe having the highest levels of potential exposure;
• Modifying sterilisation and formula prep can significantly reduce micro plastic leak.

Ways to sterilise, prepare formula

While the health impacts are unknown and the scientists say there is an ¡°urgent need¡± to assess the issue, particularly for infants. The team has also produced sterilisation guidelines to reduce microplastic exposure.

• Sterilise the bottle in line with WHO recommendations;
• Prepare sterilised water by boiling it in a non-plastic kettle/cooker, like glass or stainless steel;
• Rinse the sterilised bottle using room temperature sterilised water at least three times.
• Prepare infant formula in a non-plastic container using at least 70C water;
• Cool to room temperature and transfer prepared formula into a high-quality plastic infant-feeding bottle.

The study also says not to reheat prepared formula in plastic containers, particularly in the microwave; don¡¯t vigorously shake the formula in the bottle; and don¡¯t use ultrasonic cleaners on plastic infant-feeding bottles.

Professor John Boland, from Trinity¡¯s School of Chemistry who was part of the study, said: ¡°When we saw these results in the lab we recognised immediately the potential impact they might have.

He added, ¡°The last thing we want is to unduly alarm parents, particularly when we don¡¯t have sufficient information on the potential consequences of microplastics on infant health.¡±