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A plastic diet for pets: Exploratory evidence of microplastics in commercial dry pet food in Spain
Summary
Researchers detected microplastics in all five commercial dry pet food brands tested in Spain, with dog food containing more than twice the particle count of cat food, and developed a risk index model suggesting dogs face greater systemic exposure risk while cats may be more prone to chronic intestinal inflammation from fiber-type particles — positioning pets as sentinels for household microplastic exposure.
Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as emerging xenobiotics that may adversely affect animal health. Their presence in dry pet food (DPF) is poorly understood. This study provides the first exploratory evidence of MP contamination in commercially available DPF in Spain. Using μ-FTIR, stereomicroscopy, and SEM, MPs were detected in all analyzed samples (n = 5 brands). Comparing dog food to cat food, the former had over twice as many MPs (9.33 ± 0.41 MPs/5g vs. 4.07 ± 0.68 MPs/5 g; p < 0.0001). polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and polystyrene (PS) were the polymers identified, and the main sources of contamination were environmental, processing, and packaging factors. A risk index model that considered species sensitivity, the nanometric fraction, and projected daily consumption showed that dogs are more vulnerable to systemic effects from MPs, whereas cats may have chronic intestinal inflammation because of the fibres' preponderance. Additionally, this study highlights the relevance of MPs to overall health, considering pets as potential indicators of environmental exposure. This study aimed to analyze the presence and characteristics of MPs, as well as their potential health risks in DPF marketed in Spain.