Microwaving plastic food containers releases harmful nanoplastics, according to a new study conducted by the University of Nebraska — Lincoln. The research was motivated by the researcher Kazi Albab Hussain, personal experience as a new father and concerns about the containers used for his baby’s food.
The outcomes were more surprising than anticipated.
Hussain expressed fear after observing a significant amount of microplastics under the microscope during his study on containers. He discovered that 75 percent of kidney cells died when exposed to microwaved baby food containers for 48 hours.
Hussain’s finding is quite shocking as it reveals that microwaving plastic containers releases microplastics, toxic leachates and nanoplastics, which are smaller versions of microplastics.
This is concerning because although our kidneys can remove larger particles, they have difficulty filtering out smaller nanoplastics. As a result, these nanoplastics can bypass our cell membranes and reach areas where they should not be.
Microplastics have become highly publicized in recent years due to numerous studies revealing their presence in various environments, including the ocean, soil, and even our bodies but still no effective solution is in sight to tackle them.
Reference- Wired, Journal Environmental Science & Technology, National Geographic, Earth Day Network website