Bottled water is more dangerous than previously thought

Bottled water has been found to contain more plastic nanoparticles than anything else in drinking liquid.

In a study published by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Scientists analyzed five samples of each of the three common brands of bottled water and found that particle levels ranged from 110,000 to 400,000 per liter, with an average of about 240,000. The revelation was possible with a microscope that uses two lasers.

Nanoplastics are particles less than a micron in size. There are 25,400 so-called micrometers because it is one millionth of a meter in an inch. Some previous studies have analyzed microplastics and found that there are larger ones ranging from 5 visible millimeters, less than a quarter of an inch, to one micron. According to the study, between 10 and 100 times more nanoplastics than microplastics were found in bottled water.

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Much of the plastic appears to come from the bottle itself and the reverse osmosis membrane filter used to keep out other contaminants, which is somewhat ironic since the most harmful contaminants are found inside the bottle. according to Naixin Qian, lead author of the study and physical chemistry of the University of Columbia.

Qian did not want to reveal the three brands of tests because investigators want more samples before singling out a specific one and they want to analyze more brands. Even so, he said that they were common and were bought in the well-known American supermarket. Walmart.

Given the comments spread, the International Bottled Water Association expressed in a statement: «Currently there is a lack of methods [de medición] “Therefore, media reports about these particles in drinking water only scare consumers unnecessarily.”

According to the Program of the United Nations Environment, The planet is drowning under the weight of plastic pollution, with more than 430 million tons of plastic produced annually and fragments of microplastics are found in the planet’s oceans, food and drinking water, many coming from clothing. and cigarette filters. After negotiations stalled in November, work continues on a global plastics treaty.