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3d ago

Glass Bottles Harbor Up to 50 Times More Microplastics Than Plastic

Microscopic scratches in glass bottle cap paint release microplastics that simple rinsing can reduce by 60 percent

Beer Bottles lined up
Image
For water, both flat and sparkling, the amount of microplastic was relatively low in all cases
Drinks in glass bottles had five to 50 times more microplastic fragments than in plastic bottles

Overview

  • ANSES researchers detected an average of about 100 microplastic particles per liter in glass-bottled soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea and beer, five to 50 times higher than in plastic bottles or metal cans.
  • Analysis showed the particles match the polymer composition, shape and color of the paint on glass bottle caps, with microscopic scratches shedding fragments into beverages.
  • Beer had the highest contamination at roughly 60 particles per liter, followed by lemonade at 40 and soft drinks at 30, while wine and water registered comparatively low levels.
  • A cleaning protocol of blowing caps with air then rinsing them with water and alcohol cut cap-derived microplastics by up to 60 percent.
  • No safe threshold for microplastics in food or drinks has been established, and researchers continue to investigate potential health risks.