2024-01-09 02:25:09
Water from plastic bottles contains up to 100 times more tiny plastic particles than previously estimated, according to a new study published Monday. They think all bottled water contains it.
Using an innovative technique using lasers, scientists counted an average of 240,000 detectable plastic fragments per liter of water, after testing the product from several popular brands. This study, published in the journal PNAS, raises questions about the potential health consequences.
“If people are worried about nanoplastics in bottled water, it is reasonable to consider alternatives, such as tap water,” said Beizhan Yan, co-author of the study. But the researchers “do not recommend not drinking bottled water when necessary, as the risk of dehydration may be greater than the potential consequences of exposure to nanoplastics.”
“In all waters”
Nanoplastics have attracted more and more attention in recent years, and are present everywhere on the planet. Microplastics are less than 5,000 micrometers (or 5 millimeters), while nanoplastics are less than a micrometer. They are so small that they can enter the blood system and therefore even the organs, including the brain and the heart.
Research into their consequences on ecosystems and human health is still limited, but some studies have already highlighted harmful effects, for example on the reproductive system.
Nylon et PET
The results showed that each liter contained between 110,000 and 370,000 particles per liter, of which 90% were nanoplastics, the rest being microplastics. The most common type found was nylon – likely from plastic filters used to purify water – followed by polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which the bottles are made of.
In the future, researchers hope to test tap water, which also contains microplastics, but apparently in smaller quantities.
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