Plastic in Mineral Water: We are Drinking Poison, Not Water… Scientists Find 2.4 Lakh Pieces of Nanoplastic Particles in a Liter of Bottled Water
It has been revealed that bottled water is dangerous and harmful to health.
According to recent scientific findings, you are swallowing hundreds of thousands of nanoplastic particles with each liter of bottled water.
These findings can have far-reaching consequences for human health.
The study, published on 8th Jan 2024, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, disclosed an average of 240,000 particles in a liter of bottled water, predominantly composed of “nanoplastics,” measuring less than one micrometer, or one-seventieth the width of a human hair.
Click to read: Why You Should Stop Buying Bottled Water?
Scientists have been investigating “microplastics” for years, ranging from one micrometer to half a centimeter in length, discovering their ubiquitous presence across various environments.
These tiny plastic fragments have been identified in the deepest ocean depths, within Antarctic Sea ice, and even in the human placenta.
Microplastics permeate ecosystems, appearing in soils, wildlife, and the food and water we consume.
A 2018 study revealed an average of 325 microplastic pieces in a single bottle of water.
Researchers at Columbia University have now brought attention to the potential threats posed by nanoplastics, which are even smaller particles than microplastics. Wei Min, a chemistry professor at Columbia and co-author of the study, emphasizes the heightened danger of nanoplastics, stating, “Whatever microplastic is doing to human health, I will say nanoplastics are going to be more dangerous.”
While microplastics have been found in tap water, the quantities are comparatively smaller.
Plastic materials behave like skin, shedding microscopic pieces into water, food, or any substance they contact. Sherri Mason, a professor and sustainability director at Penn State Behrend, likens this process to the constant shedding of human skin.
Traditional methods for detecting microplastics are challenging to apply to even smaller particles. Min’s method involves using two lasers and machine learning to identify seven types of plastic molecules in bottled water samples.
The study identified PET (polyethylene terephthalate, water bottles are made of this material) and polyamide, common in water filters, as the primary components of the plastic particles.
Researchers speculate that plastic enters water both from the bottle and the filtration process. The potential health risks of tiny plastics remain unclear, and the World Health Organization, in a 2019 review, acknowledged insufficient evidence linking microplastics to human health, emphasizing the need for further research.
Nanoplastics, theoretically small enough to enter a person’s blood, liver, and brain, may be more prevalent than microplastics.
In the study, 90 percent of the plastic particles were nanoplastics, and only 10 percent were larger microplastics.
While the International Bottled Water Association downplays concerns, claiming a lack of standardized methods and scientific consensus on health impacts, experts stress the urgency of understanding the potential dangers of invisible plastics.
Jill Culora, a spokeswoman for the International Bottled Water Association, suggested that media reports about nano- and microplastic particles in drinking water may unnecessarily alarm consumers due to the absence of standardized methods and scientific consensus on potential health impacts.
Establishing a link between microplastics and human health issues is a complex task, given the diverse array of thousands of plastic types and the use of over 10,000 chemicals in their manufacturing processes.
Experts emphasize the need for readiness to address potential serious and hazardous effects of tiny plastics in the air, water, and clothing.
Mason urges policymakers and the public to consider the broader implications of consuming these particles alongside bottled water.
