Parents should think twice before microwaving plastic baby food containers. Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln say that could release billions of tiny plastic particles into the food. Their study finds some containers released over two billion nanoplastics and four million microplastics per square centimeter when users exposed their containers to microwaves.
The health implications of consuming such micro and nanoplastics remain uncertain, but the study observed a significant impact on cultured embryonic kidney cells. After exposure to these plastic particles, around 75 percent of these cells died within two days. Given the potential risks, a 2022 report from the World Health Organization advised limiting exposure to these particles.
“It is really important to know how many micro- and nanoplastics we are taking in,” says Kazi Albab Hussain, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student in civil and environmental engineering, in a university release. “When we eat specific foods, we are generally informed or have an idea about their caloric content, sugar levels, other nutrients. I believe it’s equally important that we are aware of the number of plastic particles present in our food.”
Read more: Microwaving Baby Food Containers Releases BILLIONS of Harmful Plastic Particles
