Scientists discovered that the average litre of bottled water includes roughly a quarter million invisible bits of ever-so-small nanoplastics. In a large investigation, they discovered and classified these nanoplastics for the first time using a microscope equipped with dual lasers. The researchers determined that bottled water sold in supermarkets contains 10 to 100 times more plastic than previously estimated. Scientists discovered the presence of microscopic plastic bits many years ago, but in the most recent study, researchers at Columbia and Rutgers universities estimated microscopic plastic to determine how many or what type of pieces are present in bottled water.
To conduct the study, which was published on Monday (Jan 8) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists examined five samples of each of three popular bottled water brands. Without revealing the brands’ identities, the scientists reported that particle levels ranged from 110,000 to 400,000 per litre, with an average of roughly 240,000. The paper titled “Rapid single-particle chemical imaging of nanoplastics by SRS microscopy” emphasizes the health consequences of microplastics and nanoplastics, which are now ubiquitous in our daily lives.
Bottled water had 10 to 100 times more nanoplastics than microplastics: Study
According to the study, they are particles smaller than a micron, and each inch has 25,400 microns. Microns are sometimes known as micrometres since they are one-millionth of a meter. Just for reference, human hair is about 83 microns wide. Previous studies concentrated on slightly bigger microplastics, ranging in size from five millimetres (less than a quarter of an inch) to one millimetre. According to the study, bottled water had 10 to 100 times more nanoplastics than microplastics. According to The Associated Press, Naixin Qian, a Columbia physical chemist and main author, believes that much of the plastic comes from the container and the reverse osmosis membrane filter used to keep other contaminants out. The studies show that these nanoplastics can easily infiltrate our systems, but experts are yet unsure how they will affect the organs.
As quoted, study co-author Phoebe Stapleton, a toxicologist at Rutgers said: “That’s currently under review. We don’t know if it’s dangerous or how dangerous. We do know that they are getting into the tissues (of mammals, including people) … and the current research is looking at what they’re doing in the cells.” In a statement, the International Bottled Water Association said: “There currently is both a lack of standardized (measuring) methods and no scientific consensus on the potential health impacts of nano- and microplastic particles. Therefore, media reports about these particles in drinking water do nothing more than unnecessarily scare consumers.”
