Humans eat about 5 grams of plastic per week through food chains as a result of the migration of plastic components from bags, dishes and food wrappers, or from fish that ate plastic particles and from animal meat that entered the plastic particles. A tea bag releases about 11 million microplastics into a cup of tea. Food contamination with plastic materials was discovered in 1970, and the first material that was detected was polyvinyl chloride known as (PVC), which is classified as a carcinogenic substance. Research continued on food contamination with some plastic components wrapping food products, and the term (migration) was launched and meant Microscopic transfer of the various internal components of plastic packaging material to food. Among the most important materials migrating from plastic packaging materials to food products are: styrene, thermal stabilizers, plasticizers, vinyl chloride, epoxy resins, isocyanate, and caprolactam.
Some impurities can also migrate to food due to the dissolution and decomposition of some additives, monomers, and volatile substances such as benzene, and environmental pollutants such as naphthalene. The selection of a specific material for packaging and preserving food requires legislative regulations and scientific considerations to determine the specifications of the raw material (the basis) from which the plastic packaging materials are made, such as the amount of the remaining base material in the plastic packaging material and additives, and to determine the permissible level of migration of harmful substances from the plastic packaging material for food and to set specifications For the tests that must be conducted on foods coated with plastic materials, including short-term extraction under different conditions of time, temperature, and the type of solvent in food such as oils, etc., the approval of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must be approved. Where that department puts in place primary safety methods for dealing with plastic packaging materials. And when it is suspected that the food-wrapping plastic material may migrate to it or one of its components, it is subject to the necessary tests to study toxicity, and then to set safety standards for it or reject it in the event that it is highly toxic. Therefore, the purity of the plastic material to be used for food packaging purposes must be determined
Numerous studies have shown the possibility of some parts of the plastic material transferring to the foodstuff containing it when some of its parts disintegrate, such as additives. Part of the base material, i.e. styrene, is in the final plastic material, which poses a danger in the possibility of styrene migrating to food, as it dissolves well in some food media such as oils, for example when drinking coffee with bleach in polystyrene foam cups, the environment is very suitable for the dissolution of styrene in coffee.
  Temperature is one of the most important factors that help the transfer or migration of the components of the plastic packaging material to the food. Therefore, one must beware of the danger of dealing with plastic materials to transport and preserve foods in all their forms when their temperature rises, such as putting food in a plastic container, whether it is a bag or a plate, which increases the risk of Migration of the components of the plastic material into the food due to the very high temperature of the food while placing it in the plastic container. Among the harmful behaviors is the use of pre-used plastic containers and bottles to preserve various foods without knowing the type of plastic material. When a fatty substance such as edible oil or olive oil is placed in a container made of polystyrene, this poses a danger to food, as polystyrene is not suitable for packing and preserving fatty foods.
The migration of the components of the plastic material to food goes through three stages: the first: the spread within the boundaries of the internal network of the plastic material, the second: the dissolution of the components of the plastic material at the interface between the plastic material and the food, and the third: the spread of the components of the plastic material inside the food item, and environmental factors or wrong practices contribute to an increase in the rate of Migration is like the temperature, where many people, when buying hot food from restaurants, bakeries, etc., put it in plastic containers that may be a bag or a bag or something else, which leads to an increase in the rate of migration of plastic components to the food product. It is wrong to put hot bread of all kinds in a plastic bag or put hot food in a white polystyrene dish, but the bread must be placed in a paper bag or wait until it cools down. Hot foods, such as soup, must be placed in a food container made of metal or glass. Therefore, care must be taken when packaging or Filling foodstuffs with plastic materials by avoiding the combination of hot food and plastic.
Tetrachloroethylene, methylene chloride and chloroform are carcinogenic to humans. These chemicals may contaminate food packaged in them or interact with other additives used in the manufacture of plastic packaging. Human exposure to different forms of polystyrene causes some types of malignant tumors to develop, and this compound has effects that cause cell mutations and are toxic to the fetus. It is also found in yogurt, butter, white cheese, naturalized milk and honey preserved in polystyrene plastic containers and all polystyrene containers. Food preserved
Housewives use the transparent thin film called (stretch) to wrap some foods before keeping them in the refrigerator.Acetyldipuryl citrate, and these compounds added to the polymer used in its manufacture seep into the food that sticks to it, especially when it contains fats such as cheese and butter in which plasticizers may dissolve. Experimental mice receiving large doses of them led to cancer, and it is advised not to use sticky plastic in wrapping food to be heated Inside short wave ovens (microwaves).
In August 2012, the “Plastic Soap” Foundation and the “North Sea Foundation” launched a campaign against the use of microbeads, which are nano-sized parts of plastic used in personal care products such as skin scrubs, nail polish, toothpaste, and lipstick, as they stood in the face of hundreds of major brands that add particles A plastic for cosmetics to improve certain properties such as a soft texture that are not available in natural cosmetics. Some of these companies have recognized the seriousness of these additives and adopted this change, and applications were launched on mobile phones to help consumers know the contents of the product in order to avoid the use of plastic components. After the launch of the campaign, Unilever became the first company to volunteer to get rid of microbeads in its products. And sell those dangerous products
The Royal Society issued a 2019 report that explained the impact of microplastics on the human gut, as it can disrupt the microbiome, cause damage to gut cells, and may increase the risk of cancer. It also clarified the possibility of bisphenol A, which is found in the plastic linings of tin cans, interfering with hormones and has been linked to several diseases, including Decreased fertility, problems with brain and bone development, and cancer. There are concerns that microplastics may carry other toxic chemicals into the body because, in water, they act as a magnet for pesticides and other toxic substances and become coated with them.
All parties must realize the seriousness of plastic pollution and use more sustainable alternatives. The preservation of the environment is one of the necessities that the inhabitants of the earth must abide by and work permanently in order to preserve it. Man is not a good steward of the earth over the years and must take proactive steps to achieve cleaner living habits to protect the environment and the planet for future generations