New UNL study: Microwaving plastic baby food pouches releases billions of particles

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A new Nebraska study might make you think twice about what kind of containers you’re sticking in the microwave.

UNL research found that microwaving some plastic baby food containers available on the shelves of U.S. stores can release huge numbers of plastic particles. 

“We have found 4.2 million of microplastic release, just from three minutes of microwave heating, from 1 square centimeter area, and 2 billion of nanoplastic release,” said doctoral student Kazi Albab Hussain, the study’s lead author.  

A report released just last year by the World Health Organization recommended limiting exposure to these microplastics and nanoplastics.

The health effects of consuming them aren’t fully understood at this time.

But the Nebraska team discovered that up to 75% of cultured embryonic kidney cells died just two days after being exposed to these particles.

The study also shows that these containers can release plastic without even being microwaved. 

“We have also found that room temperature, or the refrigeration storage, is also releasing micro, nano plastics,” Hussain said. 

There was a prior study on plastic released from baby bottles, but this study on plastic baby food pouches is the first of its kind in the world. 

The research team is hoping that products will one day have labels that tell customers if they’re free from these tiny plastic particles.