Infants and children are at least 10 times more exposed to microplastics than adults, according to findings from a scientific study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters. (1)
Microplastics in infants, the study
Researchers at New York University School of Medicine., in collaboration with the Tianjin Environmental Pollution Laboratory (Heibei, China), measured concentrations of microplastics from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC) in three meconium (infant feces) and six infant feces samples, compared with those of 10 adults, taken in New York State, USA.
PET is best known for its use in plastic bottles (disposable and reusable). Polycarbonate, on the other hand, is used to produce various items, from helmets to DVDs.
The result of the analysis
The search for microplastics by spectrometry found that, relative to body mass, children’s excretions are on average more than 10 times more contaminated with PET than those of adults.
Infants’ average daily exposures to PET are 83,000 and to PCs 860 ng/kgbody weight (bw) per day. Levels significantly higher than those in adults, 5800 ng/kg-bw/day for PET and 200 ng/kg-bw/d for PCs.
Infants’ exposure to microplastics.
High exposure to microplastics in the first year of life is linked to several sources. MOCAs (food contact materials and objects) are in fact joined by plastic objects that infants suck and bite on. Think teething rings, plastic baby bottles, teats and pacifiers, plastic cutlery and tableware.
Precautions
The health risks associated with exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics are to date underestimated by the authorities responsible for their analysis and management. Although such contaminants are now ubiquitous. In food, water and air.
In the case of infants and very young children, evidence suggests avoiding plastic objects as much as possible. Eliminating without delay unnecessary ones, such as bibs and plastic toys, which also often contain the dangerous phthalates, among other things.
Childhood exposure, moreover, begins as early as the fetal stage. In fact, a recent study showed the presence of microplastics in the placenta, as we have seen.
Notes
(1) Junjie Zhang, Lei Wang, Leonardo Trasande, and Kurunthachalam Kannan. Occurrence of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polycarbonate Microplastics in Infant and Adult Feces. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00559
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
