A French study conducted by GD&TĐ has found that drinks in glass bottles contain more microplastics than drinks in plastic bottles or metal cans.
With the summer heat approaching, many are looking forward to relaxing in the sun with an ice-cold beer. However, a new study by the French Food Safety Authority (ANSES) may make many reconsider.
Scientists have found that drinks in glass bottles (including water, beer and wine) contain more microplastics than drinks in plastic bottles or metal cans.
This discovery initially puzzled the researchers. But they later realized that microplastic particles were entering the drink through the coating on the bottle cap.
”We expected the exact opposite result,” researcher Iselin Chaib told AFP. “We found that the shape, color, and polymer composition of these particles were identical to the coating on glass bottle caps.”
A research team found that each liter of glass-bottled beverages in France (including soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea, and beer) contains an average of approximately 100 microplastic particles. This level is 5-50 times higher than in drinks packaged in plastic bottles or cans.
Upon closer inspection, they found that the glass bottle caps often had small scratches, presumably caused by friction when storing the caps together.
The level of microplastics in drinking water, whether plain or sparkling, is relatively low: glass bottled water contains about 4.5 microplastic particles per liter, while plastic bottled water contains about 1.6 microplastic particles per liter.
Wine lovers can also take some comfort in the fact that very low levels of microplastics were found in wine samples (including wine in sealed glass bottles).
However, soft drinks contain around 30 microplastic particles per litre, lemonade contains 40 particles per litre, and beer has the highest microplastic particle content of any drink, reaching 60 microplastic particles per litre.
Scientists have not yet determined the extent of the health risks associated with inhaling these microplastic particles.
However, there is growing concern that these particles have the potential to penetrate cells, alter cellular functions, particularly when interacting with children’s organs, and lead to noticeable changes in adulthood.
Growing evidence suggests that plastic may play a key role in the early stages of cancer development, when healthy cells can transform into cancerous ones.
A study last year found that colon cancer cells grow faster after exposure to microplastics.
Experts have also warned of a link between microplastics and reproductive health. In June of this year, a group of scientists published the results of a study that found tiny plastic particles in male sperm.
The good news is that researchers believe beverage makers can easily reduce the amount of microplastics shedding from bottle caps.
As part of the study, a group of scientists tested a cleaning method that involved blowing air through the lid, followed by cleaning with water and alcohol. The results showed that this method could reduce microplastic contamination by up to 60%.
According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the impacts of microplastics on human health.
We can be exposed to microplastics through food, drinking water, or air. However, we still don’t fully understand the levels of human exposure, chronic toxic doses, or mechanisms of action of microplastics, making it difficult to assess their overall risk.
Rachel Adams, a senior lecturer in biomedical sciences at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said that ingesting microplastics could have the following harmful effects:
Microplastics can thus combine with toxic metal compounds such as mercury, as well as organic pollutants such as certain pesticides and chemicals known as dioxins, which are known to cause cancer and reproductive and developmental problems.
If these microplastics enter the human body, the toxins can accumulate in fatty tissue.
Post time: Apr-23-2026