On average, babies around the world that drink milk formula from plastic bottles swallow more than one million microplastics every day in the first 12 months of their lives. In the United States, this number increases to 2.5 million plastic microparticles. Those in developed countries were typically found to consume more microplastics, mainly due to lower breast-feeding rates.
Plastic waste in the environment is known to contaminate drinking water, but microplastic consumption can also occur from preparing food in plastic containers. At present, the long term health effects of microplastic ingestion is not fully known.
Estimated daily microplastics consumed by babies drinking formula milk from plastic feeding bottles in the first 12 months of their lives, as of 2020, by select country
(in million pieces a day)
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Estimated daily microplastics consumed by babies drinking formula milk from plastic feeding bottles in the first 12 months of their lives, as of 2020, by select country
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The Guardian. (October 19, 2020). Estimated daily microplastics consumed by babies drinking formula milk from plastic feeding bottles in the first 12 months of their lives, as of 2020, by select country (in million pieces a day) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 29, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180579/daily-microplastic-consumption-by-babies-drinking-milk-from-plastic-bottles/
The Guardian. "Estimated daily microplastics consumed by babies drinking formula milk from plastic feeding bottles in the first 12 months of their lives, as of 2020, by select country (in million pieces a day)." Chart. October 19, 2020. Statista. Accessed April 29, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180579/daily-microplastic-consumption-by-babies-drinking-milk-from-plastic-bottles/
The Guardian. (2020). Estimated daily microplastics consumed by babies drinking formula milk from plastic feeding bottles in the first 12 months of their lives, as of 2020, by select country (in million pieces a day). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 29, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180579/daily-microplastic-consumption-by-babies-drinking-milk-from-plastic-bottles/
The Guardian. "Estimated Daily Microplastics Consumed by Babies Drinking Formula Milk from Plastic Feeding Bottles in The First 12 Months of Their Lives, as of 2020, by Select Country (in Million Pieces a Day)." Statista, Statista Inc., 19 Oct 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180579/daily-microplastic-consumption-by-babies-drinking-milk-from-plastic-bottles/
The Guardian, Estimated daily microplastics consumed by babies drinking formula milk from plastic feeding bottles in the first 12 months of their lives, as of 2020, by select country (in million pieces a day) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180579/daily-microplastic-consumption-by-babies-drinking-milk-from-plastic-bottles/ (last visited April 29, 2025)
Estimated daily microplastics consumed by babies drinking formula milk from plastic feeding bottles in the first 12 months of their lives, as of 2020, by select country (in million pieces a day) [Graph], The Guardian, October 19, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1180579/daily-microplastic-consumption-by-babies-drinking-milk-from-plastic-bottles/
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