This study revealed this process using optical photothermal infrared microspectroscopy. When silicone rubber baby pacifiers are steam sterilized, the polysiloxane and polyamide on their surfaces will degrade, producing flake-like and oily plastic particles respectively. The diameter of these microplastic particles is usually between 100 nanometers and 500 microns, and the surface properties of microplastics are different from the original polymer materials, which means that they may be released into the environment and become a potential source of microplastic pollution.
Although there is currently no clear evidence that these microplastic particles will have adverse effects on human health, the surface properties of these microplastics and their possible environmental impacts still cause concern. If large amounts of microplastics accumulate in the environment, they may cause damage to the ecological environment and even have potential negative effects on human health.
Although the study found the presence of microplastics, it did not specifically indicate whether these microplastics were leaching from silicone baby pacifiers. Therefore, we cannot simply link the production of these microplastics to silicone baby pacifiers. Moreover, more research is needed to confirm whether these microplastics are actually leaching from silicone baby pacifiers and what the long-term environmental impacts of microplastics are.
1. Use more environmentally friendly materials: Silicone is an environmentally friendly material that does not release microplastics. We can consider using other harmless materials, such as polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), etc.
2. Avoid over-sterilization: If the silicone baby pacifier only needs to be disinfected once, you can try to avoid over-sterilization. Over-disinfection may increase the production of microplastics.
3. Strengthen supervision and standard setting: Relevant departments need to strengthen supervision of the production and sales of silicone baby pacifiers to ensure that no microplastics are produced during the production process. At the same time, stricter environmental standards also need to be formulated to limit the use of microplastics.
In summary, microplastics are a complex problem that we need to address through scientific research and policy development. We should realize that although silicone products have the advantages of being non-toxic and environmentally friendly, microplastics may also be produced during use, and supervision and standard setting need to be strengthened to protect the environment and human health.
