Six types of plastic in the form of microparticles and nanoparticles were detected in Coca-Cola and Schweppes bottles in research published today by the association Agir pour l’Environnement (Action for the Environment) and addressed to health authorities.

The general director of this association for the protection of the environment, Stefan Kerkov, estimates, in a statement he issued, that Coca-Cola consumers “must be informed about the molecular instability of the plastic bottle”.

Two laboratories studied samples taken from one liter bottles of Coca-Cola Original and one and a half liter bottles of Schweppes Indian Tonic after one, ten and then twenty openings, simulating as much as possible their normal use.

Thanks to infrared analysis, the observation of microplastics – plastic particles smaller than 5 mm – reveals the presence of six different polymers, a “surprising” discovery, according to the association, which states that “manufacturers only declare 2 polymers in contact with the drink: PE (s.b.: polyethylene) in the cap and PET (s.b.: polyethylene terephthalate) in the bottle,” the announcement reads.

In the case of Coca-Cola (46 microparticles per liter after twenty openings), as in the case of Schweppes (62 per liter), the more times the bottle is opened, the more microparticles the soft drink contains, and the compound Action for Environment therefore puts forward the hypothesis that “the wear of the cap is responsible for the microplastics found.

The same is true for plastic nanoparticles, the average size of which increases as the bottle cap is opened and closed. Their infinitesimal size, 1,000 times smaller than a microparticle, makes them more easily digested by living organisms, creating a “much more significant health risk,” according to the research.

Schweppes told the newspaper Parisien yesterday, Wednesday, that all of its packaging meets “the strict quality requirements set by the French and European health authorities” and that microplastics, “if found to be present”, “have not been deliberately incorporated into our packaging”.

Agence France-Presse notes that it also contacted Coca-Cola, which has not yet responded.

The study does not have the value of a scientific study, but it reveals a “correlation”, the association clarifies, which recalls that “the internalization and accumulation of microplastics in the human body create significant health risks that are not yet well known” and calls the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), the health service Anses and the DGCCRF (Directorate-General for Competition, Consumerism and Anti-Fraud) to take action “to put an end to this ‘accidental’ contamination”.

Agence France-Presse notes that in July 2022 the association Agir pour l’Environnement had published a similar survey of nine brands of bottled water.