GabyBiodegradable bags are sold as greener alternatives to traditional plastic — but a new study suggests they could be toxic. Researchers from Southeast University in China warn that these “eco-friendly” options may actually be harmful. In their study, the team examined what happens when mice consume biodegradable plastic. They found that mice that ingested particles from biodegradable bags developed health problems, including liver and ovarian damage. “Starch-based biodegradable plastic may not be as safe and beneficial to health as initially thought,” stated Professor Yunfen Deng, a co-author of the study.
Microplastics from petroleum-based plastics enter the human body in significant amounts through food, drinking water, and even the air. Bags made from those plastics decompose extremely slowly, polluting the environment for hundreds of years. However, the study’s findings have raised concerns about starch-based biodegradable plastic particles.
What else did the researchers discover? Starch-based plastic is seen as a safer, more eco-friendly option because it breaks down more easily. The researchers tested its effects on three groups of mice, five mice each. The first group ate a regular diet, while the other two groups were fed food containing starch-based microplastics, according to the Daily Mail. (The doses were calculated based on the amounts of microplastics an average person might ingest.) After three months, the team examined the rodents’ organs, metabolic markers, and gut bacteria.
The analysis showed that, compared with mice on a regular diet, those that received certain doses of starch-based plastic particles suffered damage to multiple organs, including the liver and ovaries. The researchers also found disruptions in molecular biomarkers related to sugar and fat metabolism and an imbalance in gut bacteria. “Prolonged exposure to starch-based microplastics in small doses may lead to a wide range of health consequences, including disruptions in circadian rhythms and glucose and lipid metabolism,” noted Professor Deng.
The team said their findings, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, underscore the need for more research. First, scientists need to understand how these biodegradable particles behave inside the body. A previous study from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) found that biodegradable bags are a “source of high-level toxicity“ for fish. The authors of that study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, added: “Our hypothesis is that manufacturers add chemical additives to create biodegradable bags that may be particularly toxic.”
