Could microplastics be leached when a plastic bottle is hit?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kenny1999
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Plastic
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the potential for fingernails to create microplastics when they come into contact with plastic surfaces, such as the edge of a bottle. One participant expresses concern about whether this interaction could lead to the formation of microplastics, despite no visible damage being observed. Another participant challenges this notion, suggesting that the question lacks scientific basis and requests clarification or references to support the claim. The conversation also touches on the possibility of scratching plastic off food containers or utensils, confirming that this can indeed lead to ingestion of microplastics.
kenny1999
Messages
235
Reaction score
5
For example, I have some fingernails, I touch the mouth of a plastic bottle but the fingernail hits on the edge, I could feel it is a big hit, of course no observable damage is seen because it is just a fingernail, could this already create some microplastics that we don't see?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You have asked questions on microplastics before and gotten answers. This seems like speculation, not science.

I do not understand what you are asking - please give us a reference. Thanks
 
  • Like
Likes russ_watters, Vanadium 50 and berkeman
If you are asking if you can scratch plastic off of food containers/utensils and ingest it, the answer is of course yes.
 
  • Like
Likes jim mcnamara, Vanadium 50, Klystron and 1 other person
"In 2013, after a series of hospitalizations due to magnets, New Zealand government officials permanently banned the sale of those made from neodymium-iron-boron (NIB)." https://www.sciencealert.com/new-zealand-teen-loses-part-of-his-bowel-after-swallowing-nearly-200-magnets "A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand has had part of his bowel surgically removed after he ingested nearly 200 high-powered magnets. (2025)" OK, this teen was a fool, but it is not always a teen, it is not always...
Thread 'RIP Chen Ning Yang (1922-2025)'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Chen-Ning ( photo from http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/~yang/ ) https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/science/chen-ning-yang-dead.html https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxrzzk02plo https://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/press/mourning-professor-yang-chen-ning/ https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/physics/about/awards_and_prizes/_nobel_and_breakthrough_prizes/_profiles/yangc https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/physics/people/_profiles/yangc...
Back
Top