Up to 50 times more microplastics in glass-bottle drinks than plastic ones
A new study indicates that beverages sold in glass bottles may contain significantly more microplastic particles than those in plastic bottles or metal cans.
Researchers, including those from France 's food safety agency ANSES, found an average of 100 microplastic particles per litre in glass bottles of various drinks.
This level of contamination is surprisingly five to 50 times greater than that found in plastic bottles, a finding that contradicted scientists' expectations.
The study suggests that the paint on bottle caps is the likely main source of microplastic contamination in glass bottles.
Scientists recommend that glass bottle manufacturers clean new capsules before capping to significantly reduce microplastic contamination.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Anti-vaxxer who ‘encouraged daughter to refuse chemo' defies belief – but toxic views are still spreading far and wide
WHAT kind of parent potentially sacrifices their child's health on the altar of their own, ill-informed beliefs? Step forward notorious conspiracy theorist Kate Shemirani, who stands accused by her two estranged sons of causing their sister's death by encouraging her to refuse chemotherapy. 8 8 Paloma Shemirani was diagnosed with 'treatable' non-Hodgkin lymphoma two years ago. But, despite being told she had an 80 per cent chance of recovery via chemo, she refused it and died just months later at the age of 23. Kate and husband Faramarz claim she 'died as a result of medical interventions' but now Paloma's brothers Sebastian and Gabriel have told BBC 's Panorama a different story. 'My sister has passed away as a direct consequence of my mum's actions and beliefs,' says Sebastian. Gabriel, who started legal action to try to ensure that Paloma got the right treatment while she was still alive, adds: 'I wasn't able to stop my sister from dying. "But it would mean the world to me if I could make it that she wasn't just another in a long line of people that die in this way.' To that end, the brothers are lobbying for social media companies to take stronger action against those who peddle medical misinformation. TikTok recently banned Kate Shemirani's profile. But she still has a sizeable social media following for her conspiracy theory views that her sons say started when her and her husband listened to recordings claiming that the US terror attack on 9/11 was staged. Then, in 2012 when Kate was diagnosed with breast cancer, she had the tumour removed through conventional surgery but credited alternative therapies for her recovery. Paloma's school friend Chantelle says: 'Paloma spoke about her mum curing herself and she believed sunscreen could cause cancer.' Son of anti-vax nurse being probed by cops for comparing NHS medics to Nazis slams 'arrogant' mum So when doctors found a mass in Paloma's lung, it perhaps explains why her mother's influence was so great that the young woman decided against conventional treatment. Indeed, Paloma's boyfriend Anders Harris alleges that, after visiting her daughter in hospital, Kate texted him to ask that he help prevent her from consenting to chemo. Kate, a former 'nurse' in a Botox clinic (injects neurotoxin but says no to vaccines? — go figure) was struck off in 2021 for sharing anti-vaccine and anti- lockdown content online. We're all adults and can agree with or ignore such content. But when a parent influences their child against the conventional medicine that could save their life, it defies belief. In the UK, if parents refuse medical treatment for a sick child (either through religious or other beliefs) and that decision puts them at risk, the law can intervene to act in the best interests of the minor and ensure the necessary treatment takes place. But Paloma was an adult clearly influenced by a mother who put her own beliefs before her daughter's best interests. And sadly, the law is a lot murkier and slower in clamping down on people like Kate Shemirani who, God forbid, charges cancer patients £195 for a consultation. WOMEN ON SIDE OF J.K. 8 SIR Stephen Fry has turned on 'friend of mine' JK Rowling, suggesting she's been 'radicalised' over trans issues and has 'very strong, difficult views' that, to him, make her 'a lost cause'. He was publicly backed by barrister Jolyon Maugham, who posted: 'Really creditable this . . . I've spoken to so many of JKR's once friends who now despair at her privately but won't do so publicly . . . ' The Harry Potter author responded to him with: 'It is a great mistake to assume that everyone who claims to have been a friend of mine was ever considered a friend by me.' Touché. As for her being a 'lost cause', this is not an opinion shared by the majority of women who believe she is simply standing up for the rights of biological females, including, as she puts it, 'being able to speak about our own bodies as we please'. And I'm afraid that Stephen and Jolyon's declarations come across as just another couple of entitled men telling women what they should be thinking and feeling. FAILING ON A.I. 8 TECHNOLOGY Secretary Peter Kyle was called a 'bit of a moron' by Sir Elton John on national television but says it's not the first time he's been described as such. Mr Kyle, who has acute dyslexia, says: 'The first person I ever recall calling me that word 'moron' was a teacher and that was in front of school friends. 'So I wouldn't say it hurt, but it was very humiliating.' Hmmm. Conflating a school bullying experience with Elton's comment seems disingenuous. It had nothing to do with his dyslexia and everything to do with the Government's failure to protect young creatives from having their content used for free by AI tech companies. SUCH A HARDY TARDI 8 AT first sight, I thought it was the latest Pixar creation for another Monsters Inc sequel. But no, turns out this, er, cute little creature is real and can be found in damp environments such as moss, lichen and wet leaves. It's called a tardigrade and, according to science author Alex Riley in his new book Super Natural: How Life Thrives in Impossible Places, it can endure the most brutal of conditions that would kill a human in seconds. Hot planet, cold planet, war, flood, famine, you name it – the 'water bear', or 'moss piglet' as it's known, can sustain the lot. Apparently, it can even withstand one of Rachel Reeves' unedited Budget announcements. LITTLE THREAT AT 90 TWO serving Metropolitan Police officers and one former one are to face a gross misconduct hearing after a 90-year-old woman with dementia was 'red-dotted' with a taser which thankfully wasn't discharged. But she was handcuffed and put in a spit hood after refusing to drop the 'kitchen utensils' she was brandishing at a carer in her South London home. A complaint has now been lodged by her family over use of force and alleged discrimination due to her age, race, sex and disability. The incident follows that of two officers who, despite a jury finding them unanimously not guilty, still face gross-misconduct proceedings over the use of a pepper spray and taser on a 92-year old amputee who had threatened staff with a butter knife at a care home in East Sussex. It later transpired that he was delirious as a result of a urinary tract infection. Look, the police do a tough job that many of us wouldn't dare sign up for. But common sense must surely dictate that an obviously distressed and delirious nonagenarian is going to present little to no threat to anyone? EVERY country has its 'pests' that patrol urban streets looking for scraps. 8 For the UK, it's mostly foxes and seagulls. In Australia, it's white ibis, otherwise known as 'bin chickens'. It's monkeys in Thailand and brown bears in Canada. And I'll never forget being in the Galapagos Islands and seeing large sea lions undulating their way along the street looking for food. Now there's been an exceptionally rare sighting of a pod of killer whales just five miles south of Plymouth. How long is it before we see Free Willy foraging in Asda's bins? RIFT-HEALING LIZ HAS THE EX FACTOR 8 I HAVE met Elizabeth Hurley several times and we once spent a weekend away together with mutual friends. During that trip, she taught me how to stand in photos, that the Mach 3 razor is a must for tackling armpit hair and spent some of her downtime looking for a new tractor for her farm. In other words, she's as uncomplicated and straightforward as they come. Which is perhaps why, after years of the Cyrus family not speaking following the demise of his 30-year marriage to her mum Trish, Miley and her father Billy Ray have seemingly reconciled after he started dating Elizabeth. Indeed, the four of them (the other attendee being Elizabeth's son Damian) went for a cosy dinner in London at the weekend. 'At first it's hard, because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, 'Yes, that's your dad, but that's just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy,' says 32- year-old Miley. Good for her. And well done Elizabeth, whose enduring friendships with her exes is also a testament to her admirable people skills.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Thirteen states are invaded by terrifying killer bees that swarm by the hundreds and chase cars for miles
Terrifying killer bees are spreading northward in the US, researchers fear. The Africanized honey bee, normally found in southern Africa, is far more aggressive than the European honey bee, the most common in the US. Nicknamed the killer bee, the insects attack in 'clouds' and can sting victims thousands of times. They attack when their hive is disturbed, or in response to loud noises, such as a tree-trimmer or lawn-mower — even when it is a few blocks away. Once on the loose, the bees can chase their target for up to a mile and experts say victims have little option other than to run. In the past three months, the bees have killed one man and three horses in Texas and hospitalized at least six people — including three tree-trimmers in Texas and three hikers in Arizona who had to run a mile from the 'biggest cloud of bees I have ever seen'. Arriving in the US in the 1990s after escaping from farms in Brazil, the bees are already present in 13 states — including Florida, Utah and California. But experts now fear that warmer temperatures will allow the deadly insects to advance further north up the east and west coasts — putting tens of millions more Americans at risk. Dr Juliana Rangel, a bee expert in Texas who has been chased by the bees herself, warned: 'By 2050 or so, with increasing temperatures, we're going to see northward movement, mostly in the western half of the country.' And more of the US is at risk. A previous study found that the bees could easily advance into southeastern Oregon and the western Great Plains — attracted by the more arid climate similar to their native range. And researchers also fear that the bees could advance into the Southern Appalachian Mountains within the next few years. The bee is visually similar to the European honey bee, a docile and familiar bee in the US, but is much more aggressive. Bee stings contain the toxin melittin, which can cause cells to burst and trigger massive inflammation in large quantities, potentially leading to organ failure and death. While Africanized bees' venom is no more potent than the European honey bee — and the bee still dies after stinging — the aggressive species is far more likely to sting and much more likely to attack in large numbers. Swarms of the Africanized honey bees can sting someone thousands of times. In 2022, a 20-year-old man was reportedly stung 20,000 times and ingested 30 bees after he was attacked by a swarm while cutting tree branches near a nest. He was hospitalized but survived. The Africanized honey bee reached the US after spreading up from Brazil, where it was introduced in the 1950s in an attempt to boost honey production. It is now present in 13 US states: California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. But colonies keep being detected further north, including in several more northerly Alabama counties last year and in previously in states like South Carolina and the Bay Area in California. The insects generally prefer arid or semi-arid conditions similar to their native areas, but avoid areas that have cold winters or high levels of rain. Comparing the two types of bees, Dr Jamie Ellis, an entomologist in Florida who studies the insects, told the Daytona Beach News-Journal: 'If I'm working around one of my European honey bee colonies and I knock on it with a hammer, it might send out five to 10 individuals to see what's going on. 'They would follow me perhaps as far as my house and I might get stung once. 'If I did the same thing with an Africanized colony, I might get 50 to 100 individuals who would follow me much farther and I'd get more stings. It's really an issue of scale.' Dr Rangel added that the bees are much more sensitive to sound, saying: 'You could be mowing a lawn a few houses away and just the vibrations will set them off. 'In Texas, every year there's at least four big [Africanized bee] attacks that make the news.' She added: 'They can pursue you in your vehicle for a mile. The only thing preventing them from killing you is the [bee suit]. It's like a cloud of bees that all wants to sting you. It's scary.' Officials in Tennessee warn people to avoid all wild colonies of bees and to report any that they find to their county for monitoring. If someone is attacked by the bees, officials in most states advise people to 'run away quickly'. The above map, published in 2020, shows the range of the bees and areas that have a suitable habitat for the species While running, they say people should pull their shirt up over their head to protect the face, but make sure this doesn't slow their progress. Someone should only stop running when they reach closed shelter like a building or vehicle. It is likely that some bees will enter with them, experts say, but most will be locked outside. People are advised not to swat the bees or flail their arms, because this could antagonize them and lead to a worse attack. The Africanized honey bee is a hybrid made by mixing the European honey bee with the East African lowland honey bee. The aim was to create a bee that produced more honey, but 26 swarms escaped quarantine in 1957 and have since spread through South America and into the US.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Over 66 million euro issued to mother and baby home survivors
Over 66 million euro in payments have been issued under the government's mother and baby home redress scheme. An awareness campaign is expected to be launched to encourage people to apply for the scheme, with a particular focus on people living in Great Britain. The Irish government set up the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme with the expectation of issuing payments to around 34,000 people and health supports to 19,000 people who were in mother and baby homes, at a cost of 800 million euro (£680 million). Its third implementation report about the action plan for issues related to mother and baby homes, published on Tuesday, said that over 6,600 applications have been received as of June 15 2025. By this date, over 4,400 payments had been processed to the value of over 66 million euro. Over 16,000 requests for information has also been completed under the Birth Information and Tracing Act. 'With an estimated 34,000 people eligible for this Scheme, an estimated 40% of whom live outside of Ireland, the department is conscious of the need to raise awareness of the scheme through all means possible and phase 2 of a public awareness campaign ran from October to December 2024 with a particular focus on Great Britain,' the report said. 'Further phases of the awareness campaign will be undertaken in the future.' The government had sought for religious bodies to contribute around 270 million euro (£231 million) to the cost of the Government-established Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. Only two of eight religious bodies linked to mother and baby homes in Ireland have offered to contribute, a report found in April. The Sisters of Bon Secours offered 12.97 million euro (about £11 million), while the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul proposed contributing a building to the scheme. A commission of investigation was set up in 2015 to examine homes run by the state and religious organisations where tens of thousands of unmarried Irish women were sent to have their babies. The commission found that almost 170,000 women and children passed through the institutions from 1922 until the last one closed in 1998. The investigation exposed the often harsh conditions and unforgiving regimes many women and children experienced in the institutions. On Tuesday, the Department of Children said it would appoint four survivor representatives to the steering group for the planned National Centre for Research and Remembrance in Dublin. Planning permission was granted by Dublin City Centre in February 2025 to redevelop the former Magdalene Laundry at Sean MacDermott Street into a national remembrance centre. It will include a museum and exhibition space, an archive, a research centre and central repository of records, and a garden of reflection.
