Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers • Hacker News Board

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#11

Post by SV_BubbleTime » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:32 AM UTC

n8cpdx wrote: post #4

> then heated them at full power for three minutes in a 1,000-watt microwave This seems like unrealistic use of a microwave. The liquids are likely boiling for well over a minute. Are people really boiling liquids in the containers they’re serving their infant children? I’m not especially plastic-phobic but I also don’t think a reasonable person would think it is a good idea to boil liquids in their children’s bottle…

I can’t think of a frozen meal that doesn’t boil on the sides after being cooked for three minutes. Those taste awful, but are pretty popular.

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#12

Post by anticensor » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:33 AM UTC

PlunderBunny wrote: post #5

productizeme93 wrote: post #2

It's surprising to me how much we don't understand about plastic still. Years ago I was in a kitchen shop with an out of town friend and we saw some Sous Vide equipment. I told her that we had one and that you could either plastic bags or vacuum sealed bags to cook in the water. Her reaction was an immediate "absolutely not." That's when I realized that she worked in a lab that focused on plastics. Her big call out w…

We're all part of a giant experiment. It's a bad experiment too, in the sense that it doesn't really have a proper control group.

More aptly described, those who wants to reserve themselves into the control group are outed from the society by those who are in the treatment group.

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#13

Post by rcme » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:33 AM UTC

Does anyone have a link to the actual study? The article mentions there were variations based on the container and liquid, and I'd be curious to see what those differences were.

Unfortunately, avoiding plastics with a child is very difficult. We never microwaved anything, and generally prefer glass bottles, but breast pumps use all plastic containers and we definitely have warmed those in hot water before.

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#14

Post by dataflow » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:34 AM UTC

As someone who avoids cooking with plastic, I've always wondered... what makes people think it's safe? Does it not occur to most people that plastics can break down through the heat they're subjected to, or do they assume the plastics in question have been specifically designed to adequately withstand that?

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#15

Post by rcme » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:36 AM UTC

dataflow wrote: post #14

As someone who avoids cooking with plastic, I've always wondered... what makes people think it's safe? Does it not occur to most people that plastics can break down through the heat they're subjected to, or do they assume the plastics in question have been specifically designed to adequately withstand that?

I don't think plastic is safe and avoid it whenever possible, but an argument for its safety is that it has been widely used for a hundred years and we still don't have many direct causal links between plastic and health problems.

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#16

Post by keiferski » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:36 AM UTC

One of the most interesting films I've seen recently was Crimes of the Future by David Cronenberg. It's pretty typical Cronenbergian body horror, so be prepared for what that entails, but one of the major plot points is about humans evolving to consume plastics directly. I won't spoil the specific details but I really recommend watching it.

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#17

Post by dataflow » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:39 AM UTC

rcme wrote: post #15

dataflow wrote: post #14

As someone who avoids cooking with plastic, I've always wondered... what makes people think it's safe? Does it not occur to most people that plastics can break down through the heat they're subjected to, or do they assume the plastics in question have been specifically designed to adequately withstand that?

I don't think plastic is safe and avoid it whenever possible, but an argument for its safety is that it has been widely used for a hundred years and we still don't have many direct causal links between plastic and health problems.

Used in what manner, though? People certainly haven't been heating food in plastics for a hundred years, right?

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#18

Post by dumpster_fire » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:40 AM UTC

n8cpdx wrote: post #4

> then heated them at full power for three minutes in a 1,000-watt microwave This seems like unrealistic use of a microwave. The liquids are likely boiling for well over a minute. Are people really boiling liquids in the containers they’re serving their infant children? I’m not especially plastic-phobic but I also don’t think a reasonable person would think it is a good idea to boil liquids in their children’s bottle…

https://blog.mambaby.co.uk/feeding/how-to-self-sterilise-the...

Popular milk bottle brand instructing users how to sterilize their product with the microwave.

Boiling milk bottles is a very common way of sterilization as well.

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#19

Post by uxjw » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:41 AM UTC

SV_BubbleTime wrote: post #11

n8cpdx wrote: post #4

> then heated them at full power for three minutes in a 1,000-watt microwave This seems like unrealistic use of a microwave. The liquids are likely boiling for well over a minute. Are people really boiling liquids in the containers they’re serving their infant children? I’m not especially plastic-phobic but I also don’t think a reasonable person would think it is a good idea to boil liquids in their children’s bottle…

I can’t think of a frozen meal that doesn’t boil on the sides after being cooked for three minutes. Those taste awful, but are pretty popular.

Totally. Have to get the edges boiling to get any heat through to the middle

Re: Study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers

#20

Post by rcme » Fri, Jul 21, 2023, 4:41 AM UTC

dataflow wrote: post #17

rcme wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think plastic is safe and avoid it whenever possible, but an argument for its safety is that it has been widely used for a hundred years and we still don't have many direct causal links between plastic and health problems.

Used in what manner, though? People certainly haven't been heating food in plastics for a hundred years, right?

Tupperware was founded in 1946, and the home microwave was invented in 1967. So it has been about 56 years of just that combo. As I said, I agree that plastics cannot be considered safe, but I was presenting a possible argument that others might use.