A preliminary study examined polystyrene packaging in food simulants, using fluorescence to screen for particulate material and a separate method to measure styrene monomer.
Source details
Asmaa Ajaj, Shayma J’Bari, Anthonia Ononogbo, Federico Buonocore, Joseph C. Bear, Andrew G. Mayes, Huda Morgan. Foods (Basel, Switzerland). 2021.
Findings
A preliminary study examined polystyrene packaging in food simulants, using fluorescence to screen for particulate material and a separate method to measure styrene monomer.
Scroll the table horizontally to see source locations.
| Tested material | Test condition | Reported result | Particle size context | Source location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPS takeaway container; cut squares 2-3 × 2-3 cm, about 2.0 g, immersed in 100 mL simulant | 3% acetic acid; 60 °C; 2 h | 1 to 6 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table 5 paired size: 52.9 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| EPS meat tray; cut squares 2-3 × 2-3 cm, about 2.0 g, immersed in 100 mL simulant | 50% ethanol; 60 °C; 2 h | 2 to 6 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table 5 paired size: 17.6 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| EPS meat tray; cut squares 2-3 × 2-3 cm, about 2.0 g, immersed in 100 mL simulant | 50% ethanol; 70 °C; 2 h | 4 to 10 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table 5 paired size: 6.4 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| EPS meat tray; cut squares 2-3 × 2-3 cm, about 2.0 g, immersed in 100 mL simulant | 95% ethanol; 70 °C; 2 h | 2 to 10 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table 5 paired size: 104 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| XPS disposable plate; cut squares 2-3 × 2-3 cm, about 2.0 g, immersed in 100 mL simulant | 50% ethanol; 5 °C; 240 h | 1 to 4 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table 5 paired size: 58.9 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| XPS disposable plate; cut squares 2-3 × 2-3 cm, about 2.0 g, immersed in 100 mL simulant | 95% ethanol; 5 °C; 240 h | 1 to 2 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table 5 paired size: 11.8 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
Methods and scope
Nile Red fluorescence screened for particles. The workflow did not individually confirm each particle with FTIR or Raman. The particle table is separate from the HPLC monomer measurements. A cutting control is described, but its supplementary image was not reviewed.
What this source can support
Supports preliminary, method-specific particle observations from the tested packaging. Its counts should not be pooled with chemically confirmed particle counts, and its size examples are not full size distributions.
Cut pieces, not whole containers. Table 5 gives paired size examples and per-cm² piece ranges; it does not establish a sample-wide minimum/maximum size distribution, CI, or dose. No FTIR/Raman confirmation of individual stained particles reported. Filter pore size/validated analytical floor not supplied. High-ethanol simulants are not actual foods. Main article focuses on styrene, whose µg/mL values are not microplastic counts.
Related evidence
Plastic food storage · How microplastics are measured
Reported values and source locations
| Reported value | Measurement basis | Conditions and size context | Original document location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 6 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table-reported range; no definition as CI/SD provided | 3% acetic acid; 60 °C; 2 h Table 5 paired size: 52.9 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| 2 to 6 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table-reported range; no definition as CI/SD provided | 50% ethanol; 60 °C; 2 h Table 5 paired size: 17.6 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| 4 to 10 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table-reported range; no definition as CI/SD provided | 50% ethanol; 70 °C; 2 h Table 5 paired size: 6.4 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| 2 to 10 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table-reported range; no definition as CI/SD provided | 95% ethanol; 70 °C; 2 h Table 5 paired size: 104 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| 1 to 4 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table-reported range; no definition as CI/SD provided | 50% ethanol; 5 °C; 240 h Table 5 paired size: 58.9 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
| 1 to 2 microplastic pieces/cm² (Table 5 terminology) | Table-reported range; no definition as CI/SD provided | 95% ethanol; 5 °C; 240 h Table 5 paired size: 11.8 µm; no validated detection window supplied | PDF p. 4 §2.3; p. 6 §§2.5.2-2.5.3; p. 11 §3.4 and Table 5 |
Source provenance
Primary PDF SHA-256: a2d6cf6bd10e03f26292e8f043f4cd732e7c85b22f1df2379e14a16f481a5503
The source record identifies the scope and limits of the primary-document review. Follow the DOI or official source link for the original document; this site does not redistribute the PDF.