2023-06-12 14:23:00
The plastic is present all around us. Studies have already pointed to its presence in some everyday household products or even food packaging. When the presence of plastic particles touches food products it can become very serious. Therefore, a risk of spread to humans through food appears.
Scientists have just put forward a new everyday product that we should be wary of: cutting boards. Indeed, researchers at North Dakota State University (United States) have discovered that cutting boards polyethylene and polypropylene might contain plastic microparticles, when used regularly. Their results were published in the scientific journal Environmental Science & Technology on May 23, 2023.
Cutting boards: up to 71 million microparticles released per year
To analyze the microplastics that might be released from the cutting boards, the researchers conducted a study on 5 volunteers. The latter had to cut carrots with a knife on polyethylene and polypropylene cutting boards. These are two plastic materials.
As the hash progressed, the release of microplastics became evident. However, the polypropylene planks released more particles than the polyethylene ones. “The mass and number of microplastics released from polypropylene cutting boards were 5-60% and 14-71% higher than polyethylene, respectively“, explain the scientists.
Scientists have estimated an annual exposure per person, from 7.4 to 50. 7 g of microplastics from a polyethylene cutting board and 49.5 g of microplastics from the polypropylene one. “We further estimated that a person might be exposed to 14.5 to 71.9 million polyethylene microplastics per year once morest 79.4 million polypropylene microplastics from cutting boards“, add the researchers.
Plastic: toxicity not demonstrated in cutting boards
If the study points to the large presence of microplastics in cutting boards, their toxicity has not been demonstrated. Indeed, by studying the contamination with mice in the laboratory, no adverse effects were observed. “The Preliminary Toxicity Study of Polyethylene Microplastics did not show adverse effects on mouse fibroblast cell viability for 72 h“, explain the authors.
However, given the large amount of microplastics present in these products, the authors call for particular attention to their use. Indeed, by spreading in food, microplastics risk contaminating users. Among their many dangers, these particles can in particular unbalance the intestinal flora or be involved in the appearance of certain diseases, especially cancerous or inflammatory.
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