Do you use a plastic chopping board or non-stick cookware when you make dinner? Then there is a high risk that you will ingest many microplastic particles over the course of a year, a new study shows. We do not know the consequences of eating microplastics, but we do know that microplastics often contain harmful chemicals.
By Thomas Hovmøller Ris, NORCE
This article is an edited version of a press release from Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Dr Matthew Cole, Senior Marine Ecologist and Ecotoxicologist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory led the study. The press release can be read here: https://www.pml.ac.uk/News/New...
In a new experiment, environmental researcher Alessio Gomiero at the North Atlantic Microplastic Centre (NAMC), led by NORCE, together with colleagues, tested whether kitchen equipment made of plastic can release microplastics into food during preparation.
Microplastics are particles of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic polymer or rubber that can range from a thousandth of a millimeter to half a centimeter in size. They originate from the breakdown of larger plastic objects or direct discharge of small plastic particles.
With the help of an infrared microscope, researchers could detect microplastic particles larger than 0.015 mm. Whether you're using food containers, cutting boards, measuring cups, whisks, pans, or spoons made from new or old plastic, your food is likely to be full of microplastics. If you use this kitchen equipment daily, this equates to adding 2,409-4,964 microplastic particles to your diet each year. The worst are 'old' cookware made from plastic.
– Plastic comes into contact with our food every day via chopping boards and other cookware, so it’s not surprising that microplastics end up in the food we eat. But the quantity surprised us, says Gomiero, adding:
– We know that microplastics often contain harmful chemicals that can cause health problems for fish, birds, and mammals. We also know that humans are exposed to it since it is found in our feces. But we have not mapped out where all the microplastics come from and what the consequences are of eating it.
To find out what the consequences of eating microplastics are, NAMC has partnered with the Hospital in Innlandet. Here, doctor and professor (UiB) Tor A. Strand will identify studies where microplastics can be measured.
– There are a few studies linking microplastics and disease, but we need many more to draw any conclusions, says Strand.
Studies from NORCE have previously shown that there are microplastics in animals. Four mammals, three birds, and six fish from a plastic-polluted coastal area were examined for plastic in their organs and edible tissues.
North Atlantic Microplastic Centre (NAMC) has gathered experts on microplastics from Norway, Europe, and the USA to gain comprehensive knowledge about the environmental impacts of microplastics and how this affects organisms and humans.
Plastic fragments are distributed in nature and the quantity is increasing in parallel with increasing plastic production and use. Microplastics affect ecosystems worldwide, from the depths of the ocean to remote mountaintops, and has even been found in human organs.
Three NORCE researchers contributed to the paper. Dr. Alessio Gomiero, Adrián Jaén-Gil, and Marte Haave (now SALT Lofoten). The study was led by Dr Matthew Cole at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) while Dr Amy Lusher from Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) co-authored the article. The project was funded through the North Atlantic Microplastic Centre (NAMC).
Read the full scientific article
The ‘food’ was prepared using either non-plastic, new plastic or old plastic cookware. The non-plastic cookware was made of stainless steel and glass, whereas the plastic cookware comprised plastic chopping boards, utensils and containers, silicone-coated utensils and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coated, non-stick pans. Non-plastic and new plastic cookware were purchased from domestic suppliers, while old plastic cookware was sourced from home kitchens, using equipment of similar polymer and morphology wherever feasible.