Acrylic (methacrylic resin and acrylic fiber)
PMMA / resin identification code 7（その他）
“Acrylic” means two things: a resin (PMMA) and a fiber. PMMA reported in blood.
Main uses
- Methacrylic resin (PMMA): clear cases, some tableware
- Acrylic fiber: sweaters and blankets (the raw material is acrylonitrile)
Found in food, water and the human body
- Blood: PMMA was found (Leslie et al. 2022)
- Washing acrylic fiber: 162 mg of fiber waste per kg with detergent. In the 7th wash, 45% less than in the 1st (2022)
Detailed numbers by food: Indoor dust falling onto food during meals
Evaluations of raw materials and additives
- The raw material of acrylic fiber, acrylonitrile, is IARC Group 1 (evaluated in 2024)
- Methyl methacrylate, PMMA, and acrylic fiber are IARC Group 3
IARC classifications rate the strength of evidence that something can cause cancer, not the size of the risk at everyday amounts.
Japan's standards (utensils, containers and packaging that touch food)
- MHLW Notification No. 370 (polymethyl methacrylate): methyl methacrylate 15 μg/mL or less, and other limits
General standards for all synthetic resins: cadmium and lead in the material 100 μg/g or less each, heavy metals migrating (as lead) 1 μg/mL or less, and others. Since June 2020, synthetic resins that touch food have been under a “positive list system” that sets which substances may be used (the transition period ended May 31, 2025). → Rules and regulation
Production in Japan
| Item | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methacrylic resin | 117,892 t | 124,275 t | 109,382 t |
Compiled by the Japan Plastics Industry Federation (based on METI's production statistics). This is the amount made in Japan, not the amount used in Japan.
Sources
- Leslie HA, et al. Environ Int 2022 (PMID 35367073)
- Sci Total Environ 2022;834:155429 (washing of acrylic fiber) (PMID 35461942)
- Consumer Affairs Agency, standards for utensils, containers and packaging (Notification No. 370, Part 3) (Japanese)
- IARC List of Classifications
- Japan Plastics Industry Federation, statistics (Japanese)
Last checked 2026-10-01. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.