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4 months ago
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A new study from France's food safety agency has challenged the widespread belief that glass bottles are safer than plastic ones when it comes to avoiding tiny plastic particles in drinks. The research, conducted by ANSES and published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, found unexpected results that went against what scientists initially thought they would discover.
PhD student Iseline Chaib, who led the research, quipped, "We expected the opposite result."
The study revealed that bottle caps appear to be the main source of plastic contamination in beverages. Researchers found that most of the plastic particles they discovered in drinks were the same color as the bottle caps and had the same chemical makeup as the paint used on the outside of caps.
"We then noticed that in the glass, the particles emerging from the samples were the same shape, color, and polymer composition, so therefore the same plastic as the paint on the outside of the caps that seal the glass bottles," Ms. Chaib added.
The research showed that different types of drinks contained varying amounts of these tiny plastic particles. Beer bottles had the highest levels, with an average of 60 particles per liter. Lemonade came second with around 40 particles per liter.
Water bottles, whether flat or sparkling, showed much lower levels of plastic particles regardless of whether they were made of glass or plastic. Glass water bottles contained about 4.5 particles per litre, while plastic water bottles had even fewer at 1.6 particles per litre.
The findings of the research agency suggest that the type of drink and its packaging process may be more important factors in plastic contamination than whether the bottle itself is made of glass or plastic.
Lmfao this is becoming insane pic.twitter.com/1MWoH13fSf — Daniel Lockyer (@DanielLockyer) June 21, 2025
Glass bottles for beer, soda, and even water found to contain 'toxic' levels of cancer-linked microplastics than plastic bottles, study sayshttps://t.co/Q12vq2JJpr — Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) June 22, 2025
Reactions poured in with netizens taking a dig at the study which appeared like a clickbait for not revealing until later that it is the plastic cap of the glass bottle that is the problem. However those who skipped the study altogether for the headlines reacted with much paranoia. One user asked, “So we need to go to the river to drink water to be safe?” Another jibed, “But do the microplastics have more microplastics than the microplastics?”
A third user remarked, “At this point what isn’t killing us?” Yet another user commented, “At this point u just gotta drink directly from tap.”
So we need to go to the river to drink water to be safe? — Brian Miller (@yourguyinchina) June 21, 2025
nothing is f*^%#g sacred pic.twitter.com/DCeySglU7H — Hope is Back on the Horizon (@HopeIsBack25) June 22, 2025
But do the microplastics have more microplastics than the microplastics? — jurk.io (@THISIS5AMDESIGN) June 22, 2025
At this point what isn’t killing us? — Patrick Lockwood (@DoctorLockwood) June 21, 2025
At this point u just gotta drink directly from tap 💀 — Adam Barta (@AdamBartas) June 22, 2025
See Also: Microplastic Pollution In Human Brain Has Increased By 50% Within 10 Years And It Might Get Worse
Cover: Patrick Gawande / Mashable India
