Boiling water in plastic electric kettles is a daily habit for millions globally. However, scientists from the University of Queensland, Australia, state this common practice may release nanoplastic particles—a type significantly smaller and more harmful than microplastics—into daily drinking water.
Research published on 1/12 by Doctor Elvis Okoffo from the University of Queensland indicates that plastic kettles release the highest concentration of plastic particles during their initial use, emitting up to 3 billion nanoplastic particles into a 250 ml cup of tea.
Nanoplastics are considerably smaller than microplastics, approximately 1/70th the width of a human hair, making them invisible to the naked eye. Their size, under 1 micrometer, allows them to penetrate cell membranes and enter deeper into the human body.
Based on these findings, Okoffo advises consumers against drinking water from the initial boil in a new plastic kettle.
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An illustration of the average amount of microplastics humans absorb annually. Source: Reuters. |
An illustration of the average amount of microplastics humans absorb annually. Source: Reuters.
The study also noted that the rate of nanoplastic release decreases after the initial use. However, even after 150 boils, these kettles continue to leach up to 820,000 nanoplastic particles per milliliter of water, equating to 205 million particles in a 250 ml cup.
Tap water with high dissolved mineral content significantly reduces the amount of plastic particle leaching. Doctor Okoffo suggests this is likely because minerals in the water form a protective coating inside the kettle.
He advises users to boil water several times initially and then discard it. This practice can help reduce the amount of plastic particles, aligning with some manufacturers' recommendations. Simply rinsing the kettle before use will not remove most plastic particles.
Based on these findings, the University of Queensland scientist urges manufacturers and regulatory bodies to provide warning labels and safety instructions for users.
He also emphasized that the long-term health impacts of nanoplastics on humans remain unclear.
A plastic electric kettle retails for approximately 7.5 USD in Australia, whereas a stainless steel equivalent costs three times more.
In a separate study, Doctor Okoffo also advised consumers against placing plastic food containers or other plastic items in dishwashers. This recommendation followed his research into five common kitchen plastics: polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). He discovered that plastic items, on average, shed 920,000 microplastic fragments during a single wash cycle.
Bao Bao (according to Yahoo, University of Queensland)
