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Microplastic release from the degradation of polypropylene feeding bottles during infant formula preparation

Nature Food 2020 538 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Yunhong Shi, Jing Jing Wang, Jing Jing Wang, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Dunzhu Li, Dunzhu Li, Luming Yang, Dunzhu Li, Dunzhu Li, Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Jing Jing Wang, Dunzhu Li, Dunzhu Li, Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Luming Yang, Luming Yang, Luming Yang, Dunzhu Li, Dunzhu Li, Dunzhu Li, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Dunzhu Li, Dunzhu Li, Dunzhu Li, Luming Yang, Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Liwen Xiao, Liwen Xiao, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Jing Jing Wang, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Jing Jing Wang, Liwen Xiao, Yunhong Shi, Liwen Xiao, Luming Yang, Yunhong Shi, Luming Yang, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Liwen Xiao, Liwen Xiao, Liwen Xiao, Yunhong Shi, Luming Yang, Daniel K. Kehoe, Daniel K. Kehoe, Daniel K. Kehoe, Luming Yang, Yunhong Shi, Daniel K. Kehoe, Luming Yang, Daniel K. Kehoe, Yunhong Shi, Daniel K. Kehoe, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Luming Yang, Liwen Xiao, Luming Yang, Luming Yang, Luming Yang, Yurii K. Gun’ko, John J. Boland Daniel K. Kehoe, Luming Yang, Daniel K. Kehoe, Daniel K. Kehoe, Daniel K. Kehoe, Jing Jing Wang, Jing Jing Wang, Liwen Xiao, Jing Jing Wang, John J. Boland Liwen Xiao, Jing Jing Wang, John J. Boland Luming Yang, Liwen Xiao, Dunzhu Li, Jing Jing Wang, John J. Boland John J. Boland John J. Boland John J. Boland John J. Boland Luming Yang, Yurii K. Gun’ko, Yurii K. Gun’ko, John J. Boland John J. Boland Yurii K. Gun’ko, Liwen Xiao, Yunhong Shi, Jing Jing Wang, Yunhong Shi, Jing Jing Wang, Liwen Xiao, Liwen Xiao, Liwen Xiao, John J. Boland Liwen Xiao, Liwen Xiao, Jing Jing Wang, Jing Jing Wang, Dunzhu Li, Liwen Xiao, Yurii K. Gun’ko, Liwen Xiao, Jing Jing Wang, Yunhong Shi, Yunhong Shi, Liwen Xiao, Liwen Xiao, Liwen Xiao, John J. Boland John J. Boland Yunhong Shi, Jing Jing Wang, Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Jing Jing Wang, John J. Boland Jing Jing Wang, John J. Boland

Summary

Researchers found that polypropylene baby bottles can release millions of microplastic particles per liter when exposed to the high temperatures used during sterilization and formula preparation. The study estimated that bottle-fed infants could be exposed to significant levels of microplastics during their first year of life, with hotter water temperatures leading to greater particle release.

Polymers

Polypropylene-based products are commonly used for food preparation and storage, but their capacity to release microplastics is poorly understood. We investigated the potential exposure of infants to microplastics from consuming formula prepared in polypropylene (PP) infant feeding bottles (IFBs). Here, we show that PP IFBs release microplastics with values as high as 16,200,000 particles per litre. Scenario studies showed that PP IFB sterilization and exposure to high-temperature water significantly increase microplastic release. A 21-d test of PP IFBs showed periodic fluctuations in microplastic release. To estimate the potential global exposure to infants up to 12 months old, we surveyed 48 regions, finding values ranging from 14,600-4,550,000 particles per capita per day, depending on the region. We demonstrate that infant exposure to microplastics is higher than was previously recognized due to the prevalence of PP-based products used in formula preparation and highlight an urgent need to assess whether exposure to microplastics at these levels poses a risk to infant health.

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