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Releasing characteristics and risk of micro/nanoplastics from Chinese herbal decoction packages under daily usage scenarios
Summary
Researchers tested how much micro- and nanoplastic is released from single-use Chinese herbal medicine packaging under normal usage conditions. They found that a single package could release up to 1.21 million microplastics and 4.32 billion nanoplastics, with hotter filling temperatures producing more nanoparticles. Cell experiments showed these released particles triggered inflammatory responses, raising concerns about plastic exposure from common food-contact packaging.
The single-use plastic packaging for traditional Chinese herbal decoction is prevalent for its convenience. However, concerns have been raised regarding the biosafety implications of dissolved plastic particles from such food contact materials and their potential impact on drug efficacy. To initially investigate the release characteristics of micro/nanoplastics (M/NPs) from Chinese herbal decoction packages under different usage scenarios, 100 mL of water was filled at temperatures ranging from 40 ℃ to 100 ℃ and stored at 4 ℃ for 1 to 14 days before reheating at 60 ℃ prior to consumption. Fluorescence microscopy and nano flow cytometry revealed that one package could release 0.15-1.21 million MPs (over 60 % of MPs < 2 µm) and 0.48-4.32 billion NPs (over 40 % of NPs < 100 nm). The quantity of MPs decreased while NPs increased with higher filling temperatures, peaking after one day and seven days respectively. Exposure modeling estimated a daily intake of 2115-17,300 MPs/kg·day and 6.90-61.68 million NPs/kg·day from consuming one dose of Chinese herbal decoction. Furthermore, exposure of RAW264.7 cells to these plastic particles resulted in elevated levels of ROS and IL-6, aligning with dissolved NPs concentration trends. These findings cause apprehensions when utilizing plastic food packages due to M/NPs releases and potential proinflammatory risks.