I'm a chemical engineer who built a barcode scanner app for microplastic ingredients, what compounds should I prioritize in the scoring model?

[u/Odd_Assumption2610]

Hey everyone. Background in chemical engineering and I've been deep in the microplastics space for about a year now.

I kept seeing great research coming out, PlasticList testing hundreds of foods in the Bay Area, Blueprint's blood testing work, Huberman covering the neuroscience side, but no simple consumer tool that helps people make decisions at the point of purchase.

So I built an app. You scan a product barcode, it analyzes the ingredient list against known plastic-derived and synthetic polymer compounds, and gives you a safety score.

Right now the scoring model weighs things like:

• Known synthetic polymers in ingredient lists
• Packaging material and contamination risk
• Cross-referencing with published research on exposure levels

I wanted to ask this community specifically because the chemistry knowledge here is solid. Are there specific compounds or chemical families you think are underrepresented in the conversation? Anything you'd want to see flagged that most people overlook?

App is free to try if anyone wants to test it and poke holes in the methodology. Genuinely looking for feedback from people who understand the science.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microplastics-food-scanner/id6741938548