Why are we finding so much PVC in sugar, even across different brands?

Microplastics are everywhere — in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Our exposure to these tiny plastic particles is unavoidable. And yet, as the World Health Organization (WHO) points out, we still lack reliable quantitative data on our actual, everyday exposure.

Over the past decade, scientists have turned their attention primarily to drinking water — both tap and bottled. This focus makes sense: water is relatively simple to analyze. In most cases, detecting microplastics involves filtering the sample and analyzing the residue.

What initially seemed like a straightforward process, however, quickly revealed complex analytical challenges. Years of effort have now led to a nearly finalized standardized methodology, expected to be published by ISO later this year (ISO16094-2). This is a significant milestone. Thanks to these developments, we're now capable of detecting what might be called a "needle in a haystack." Vibrational spectroscopy techniques, for example, are now so sensitive that they can detect just a few microplastic particles in a glass of water — a level of precision comparable to spotting a single fist-sized rock while hiking across the vast slopes of Mont Blanc.

But here’s the twist: water might not be our biggest source of microplastic exposure. Recent research suggests we could be inhaling or ingesting far more microplastics from other sources. One study by Aalborg University found that simply spending a day indoors could lead to the inhalation of thousands of microplastic particles. Surprising, isn’t it?

Then there's our food. According to a recent study conducted by HORIBA, adding just a single spoonful of sugar to your coffee could introduce thousands of microplastic particles — mainly polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer. Even more concerning, this contamination seems consistent across sugar brands.

Microplastics found in a signle sugar sample. Source: Horiba

Oddly enough, these polymers weren’t found in the air or the sugar packaging, prompting serious questions: Where are these particles coming from? And more importantly, can their presence in sugar be prevented? It’s particularly alarming given that PVC is generally prohibited in food-contact materials.

The issue doesn't end there. The NGO Agir pour l’Environnement also reported trace amounts of PVC in sweet beverages. While the levels were lower, the study only focused on particles larger than 20 microns — meaning smaller particles could have easily gone undetected.

What’s Next?

As WHO emphasizes, we urgently need more data on microplastic levels in air and food. The good news? With a standardized method for water now available, we can adapt it to other water-soluble food ingredients such as sugar, salt, vinegar, and flavorings — all of which could be contributing to our daily microplastic intake without us realizing it.

When it comes to air, indoor samples are relatively easier to analyze due to the simpler composition of indoor particulate matter compared to outdoor air.

The real challenge lies ahead: developing effective and reliable sample preparation protocols for more complex food matrices. These protocols must isolate microplastics without altering their physical or chemical properties — a critical step if we want to understand the full picture of our exposure.

This field is moving fast, and so should we. Let’s stay curious, stay critical, and continue to push the boundaries of science in the fight to understand — and eventually reduce — our microplastic burden.

Dr. Alina Maltseva

Application scientist at HORIBA France