Tuesday, July 1, 2025
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
Environmental Magazine
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Plastic and non-stick cookware is likely adding thousands of microplastics to the human diet

June 17, 2024
in News
A A

A new collaborative study has shown that plastic and non-stick cookware can release microplastics into food during food preparation, with the study investigating the extent to which non-plastic, new plastic and old plastic cookware can contaminate food.

Microplastics can be produced by the degradation of larger plastic items or the direct release of tiny plastic particles. It is known to affect ecosystems worldwide, from the depths of the ocean to remote mountaintops, and has even been found in human organs.

Human uptake of microplastics can occur via inhalation of airborne fibres or ingestion of microplastic-contaminated foods and beverages.

Often containing harmful chemicals, microplastics contaminate water bodies, soil, and air, posing health concerns for both wildlife and humans.

This latest study was undertaken by Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, SALT Lofoten and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA).

Lead author Dr Matthew Cole, Senior Marine Ecologist and Ecotoxicologist at PML, said: “Our new study investigated the extent to which commonly used plastic cookware – including plastic food containers, chopping boards and utensils, and non-stick pans – can contaminate food through the release of microplastics. We also investigated the extent to which ‘new’ or ‘old’ plastic cookware and utensils can release microplastics, and whether the age or condition of the cookware made a difference in how many plastic particles were released.

To carry out the study, we used jelly as a proxy for food. Using jelly allowed us to imitate food preparation steps using its solid and liquid states. It also allowed us to more easily find any microplastics released from the cookware.”

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.

The food simulant was prepared with food processing methods commonly used in home kitchens, including heating, cooling, cutting, whisking and storage.

“Particles were extracted from the food simulant by liquifying and filtering the jelly, and then characterised using Micro Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy imaging which provided the number, size and shape of microplastics present in the food simulant,” says NORCE researcher Dr Alessio Gomiero.

“Identification of polymer types and measurement of particle sizes were performed using an Infrared Imaging Microscope, which allows the detection of microplastics greater than 15 μm (0.015 mm). Additionally, the smallest and longest dimension of each particle was recorded.

Co-author Dr Amy Lusher of NIVA Norway added, “Much of the concern of microplastics in food products has grown from the presence of microplastics in seafood. We set out to look at alternative sources of microplastics to the human diet. Since much of our food preparation happens at home, the kitchen was a logical, yet overlooked, place to investigate.

Our results were concerning – showing that plastic cookware is likely adding thousands of microplastics into the human diet each year. Furthermore, it found that new and old plastic cookware significantly increased microplastic load in prepared food.

Assuming a meal was prepared daily per the prescribed methodology, new and old plastic cookware may be contributing 2409–4964 microplastics per annum into homecooked food. Non-plastic cookware did not introduce microplastics into prepared food.”

“The health implications of ingesting microplastics remains unclear.”

Access the paper: Microplastic and PTFE contamination of food from cookware.

ShareTweetSharePinSendShare

Related Articles

News

UK government body to deploy innovative robotics to manage radioactive waste

June 27, 2025
News

Squaring the circle: Making sense of the UK Industrial Strategy

June 27, 2025
News

Make electricity cheaper for consumers, says CCC

June 26, 2025
News

Microplastics are everywhere, but our methods to track them are all over the place

June 25, 2025
News

Leeds EfW facility will supply around 390 GWh per year of homegrown power to the region

June 24, 2025
News

Liquid-hydrogen fuelled concept car unveiled at Le Mans

June 20, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Will economics drive a paradigm shift in ballast water management?

December 21, 2023

From Louisiana to Pennsylvania, Tracing Plastics Pollution Back to Its Source

April 1, 2025

Don't miss it

Energy

Latest GOP Provisions in Budget Bill Seek to Crush Renewable Energy

June 30, 2025
Activism

Truckers Say Oil and Gas Companies Are Violating Hazardous Materials Transport Regulations

June 29, 2025
Energy

Texas’ Risk of Summer Blackouts Reduced Thanks to Solar and Batteries

June 28, 2025
Fossil Fuels

The Danger of Losing the EPA’s Endangerment Finding

June 28, 2025
Activism

‘Systematically Failed’: Civil Society’s Latest Attempt to Reform UN Climate Talks

June 27, 2025
Fossil Fuels

Trump Joins the Opposition to Vermont’s Climate Superfund Act, Calling it ‘Burdensome’ and ‘Ideologically Motivated’

June 27, 2025
Environmental Magazine

Environmental Magazine, Latest News, Opinions, Analysis Environmental Magazine. Follow us for more news about Enviroment and climate change from all around the world.

Learn more

Sections

  • Activism
  • Air
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Fossil Fuels
  • News
  • Uncategorized
  • Water

Topics

Activism Air Climate Change Energy Fossil Fuels News Uncategorized Water

Recent News

Latest GOP Provisions in Budget Bill Seek to Crush Renewable Energy

June 30, 2025

Truckers Say Oil and Gas Companies Are Violating Hazardous Materials Transport Regulations

June 29, 2025

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.