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- A 2024 study by the French NGO Agir pour l’Environnement found that repeatedly opening and closing plastic soda bottles significantly increased the number of microplastic particles in the beverages.
- The study identified six types of plastic particles in the beverages, indicating that the bottle caps degrade with repeated use and release microplastics into the liquid.
- In addition to microplastics, the study also found nanoplastics, raising further concerns about the long-term health effects of drinking from plastic bottles.
According to the UN Environment Programme, the average adult could be consuming up to 52,000 particles of microplastics each year. And if it’s a problem you’re hoping to mitigate, then you may want to think twice about how long you savor your next bottle of soda.
The French NGO, Agir pour l’Environnement (Act for the Environment), released the findings of its investigation into the levels of microplastics and nanoplastics present in popular plastic soft drink bottles, specifically Coca-Cola Original (1-liter bottles) and Schweppes Indian Tonic (1.5-liter bottles).
To replicate actual consumer behavior, the team simulated how a typical person might drink soda over time, opening and closing the same plastic bottle once, then 10 times, and finally 20 times.
The researchers found that after opening a bottle just once, the beverage already showed measurable amounts of microplastics, with Coca-Cola registering 4 microplastic particles and Schweppes hitting 4.6.
However, with each successive opening, the number of microplastics increased, reaching 46 particles for Coca-Cola by the 20th opening and 62 for Schweppes. In both instances, the team identified six types of particles: polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), and polyurethane (PU). Manufacturers typically recognize only two of these, PET and PE, as potentially coming into contact with your beverage to identify recycled materials.
The findings suggest that the simple act of fidgeting with a bottle — opening and closing it repeatedly while enjoying it — can introduce a slow trickle of microplastics into your soda. As for how this happens, it’s likely due to the plastic bottle cap degrading with each successive turn, introducing more and more microplastics every time it’s opened and closed.
While the researchers identified a significant amount of microplastics, they were particularly concerned about the quantity of nanoplastics they also discovered, which may be small enough to penetrate the body’s biological barriers and enter organs and cells.
The difference in size between microplastics and nanoplastics is striking. As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explained, “Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic that are typically considered less than five millimeters in size in at least one dimension,” while nanoplastics “are even smaller, typically considered to be less than one µm, or micron, in size.” The FDA added, “For reference, the diameter of a human hair is about 70 microns,” meaning that a nanoplastic can be 70 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.
After discovering these nanoplastics, Magali Leroy, head of investigations and analyses at Agir pour l’Environnement, said that authorities “must guarantee consumers an inert container that does not expose them to molecules whose health impact cannot be ruled out.”
In the meantime, if you’re concerned about microplastic exposure, the easiest swap you can make is to reach for a glass to pour your drink into the next time you want to enjoy something bubbly. That way, you can savor it for as long as you’d like — or until your ice melts, whichever comes first.
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