With the rapid development and popularization of the internet and smartphone industry for ordering and delivery, the consumption of takeaway food is increasing globally, especially in China. However, there is little information about microplastics in takeaway food containers, so their potential risks to human health remain unknown. This study explored the possibility of using focal plane array (FPA)-based micro-FT-IR imaging to detect microplastics released from food containers and evaluated their contents using an automated database matching analysis method. We investigated microplastics in seven types of food containers widely used in China. The most common plastic types observed were polyamide (PA), polyurethane (PU) and polystyrene (PS), which were found to comprise 22.8%, 18.2%, and 8.5% (number of particles) of all microplastics, respectively. Microplastics were found in all seven types of food containers, and the content excluding cellulose was 29-552 items/container. Our research shows that microplastics in takeaway food containers might originate from atmospheric sediment or flakes from the inside surface of the container. According to the content of microplastics in takeaway food containers, people who order takeaway food 5-10 times a month might consume 145-5520 microplastic pieces from food containers.
Keywords: database matching; human health; micro-FT-IR imaging; microplastic; takeaway food containers.