Francesca Biagioli An investigation by Agir pour l'Environnement revealed the presence of micro and nanoplastics in Coca-Cola and Schweppes bottles. Up to 46 particles of six types of plastic were counted per bottle
Coca-Cola has long been a controversial beverage, notorious already for its excessively high sugar content. Now, an investigation has apparently found that it may be carrying something else in its ingredients list: traces of microplastics.
Indeed, data corroborate this from the French environmental organization Agir pour l’Environnement, which commissioned two specialized laboratories to see whether, and to what extent, Coca-Cola contains nano and microplastics. Tests were conducted on bottles of Coca-Cola and Schweppes, each container being opened once, ten times, and twenty times.
The results were stunning: from 4 microparticles a liter after the first opening, they rose to 46 after twenty openings. According to researchers, this is because the wear of the cap, during consumption, frees more and more particles.
Of the captured particles six varieties of plastics were identified, including PE, PET and PVC. The latter presents a particular concern because it was not declared on the label and is considered a toxic material.
@Agir pour l’Environnement
Nanoparticles create additional dangers
Other substances detected in the study were nanoparticles, less than a micrometer in size. Such tiny sizes not only bring extra risk but also are able to bypass biological barriers and thereby distribute in human organs such as the liver, lungs, and even the brain. Experts say that “accumulation of these substances in the body can provoke a disturbance in the activity of organs and create long-term harm.”.
Yet despite these grim findings, Coca-Cola said there was currently inadequate scientific evidence to prove that the ingestion of plastic particles does harm to human health. “We ensure the safety of our products,” the company told AFP.
Agir pour l’Environnement has called on the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, commonly known as ANSES, and the General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, also known as DGCCRF, to conduct a deeper investigation of those alarming revelations.
One should not forget that Coca-Cola is the leader of the beverage market and one of the most considerable plastic polluters in the world. This fact has been proved by the very study mentioned above, which estimated that 11% of the plastic waste collected within 2018-2022 came from Coca-Cola, thus outpacing competitors highly in pollution. Accountability of the firm regarding plastic pollution should be put into consideration.
[Read full French report here on microplastics in Coca-Cola and Schweppes.]
Source: Agir pour l’environnement
