Wang Shuai, Zheng Na, Peng Liyuan, An Qirui, Chen Changcheng, Wei Yijun
Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment of the Ministry of Education, College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Water Environment, Jilin University, China.
Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment of the Ministry of Education, College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Water Environment, Jilin University, China.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2025 Sep 1;302:118694. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118694. Epub 2025 Jul 17.
This study characterized microplastics (MPs) generated from the toothpaste and toothbrushes commonly used in China based on a survey of oral care product usage. The study examined the time-dependent trend of MPs released from toothbrushes and evaluated the risk of microplastic exposure through oral products in a Chinese population. MPs in the toothpaste were composed of translucent and irregularly fragmented polyethylene (22 %) and polyethylene-vinyl acetate (78 %). A toothbrush simulation revealed the highest percentage of polypropylene (22 %) and the dominance of microplastic < 100 μm (63 %). The temporal trend of MPs release indicated that the release rate of MPs from hard-bristled toothbrushes increases rapidly initially and then gradually during use. The results suggest that the use of popular Chinese toothbrushes and toothpastes does not directly contribute to the health risks associated with exposure to MPs. However, daily releases were up to 11.83 × 10 particles/year/person from the toothpaste and an average of at least 23.3 × 10 particles/year/person from the toothbrush. Continuous daily use of toothpaste and toothbrushes releases large numbers of MPs into the environment.
本研究基于对口腔护理产品使用情况的调查，对中国常用的牙膏和牙刷产生的微塑料（MPs）进行了表征。该研究考察了牙刷释放微塑料的时间依赖性趋势，并评估了中国人群通过口腔产品接触微塑料的风险。牙膏中的微塑料由半透明且不规则破碎的聚乙烯（22%）和聚乙酸乙烯酯（78%）组成。牙刷模拟显示聚丙烯占比最高（22%），且微塑料以<100μm为主（63%）。微塑料释放的时间趋势表明，硬毛牙刷在使用过程中，微塑料的释放速率起初迅速增加，随后逐渐增加。结果表明，使用中国流行的牙刷和牙膏不会直接导致与接触微塑料相关的健康风险。然而，牙膏的每日释放量高达11.83×10个颗粒/年/人，牙刷平均每年至少释放23.3×10个颗粒/人。持续每日使用牙膏和牙刷会向环境中释放大量微塑料。
