Bottled Water Now Believed to Be 100 Times Worse for Plastic Contamination than Previously Estimated

Bottled Water Now Believed to Be 100 Times Worse for Plastic Contamination than Previously Estimated

One of the most alarming statistics I’ve come across in the last few years was the scientific estimate that the average person ingests the equivalent of a credit card’s worth of microscopic plastic particles every week! New research shows that such a gigantic amount could actually be underestimated.

Plastics enter our bodies from every available source: food, water, and even the air we breathe. Microplastics refer to any plastics that are smaller than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long, and they are literally everywhere now on planet Earth after just about a century of use. Over time, these microplastics break down even further into so-called nanoplastics. Nanoplastics are so tiny they pass through our intestines and lungs directly into our bloodstream, where they then travel into our vital organs, including our hearts and brains! Plastic particles contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that can increase our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. These plastics can also carry toxins on their surfaces, including heavy metals known to harm the brain and other vital organs.

Previous research has shown that bottled water can contain tens of thousands of identifiable plastic fragments in a single bottle. But until recently, available tools were only able to detect the larger microplastics, and nanoplastics concentrations remained largely a mystery. However, a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences employed cutting-edge technology to peel back the curtain on nanoplastic concentrations. Using a technique called Raman scattering microscopy—which can detect particles down to the size of a COVID virus— scientists were able to measure an average of 240,000 particles of plastic in each liter of bottled water, 90 percent of which were nanoplastics. This is 10 to 100 times larger than previous estimates. These plastics likely originate from the bottle material, filters used to “purify” the water, and the source water itself.

The results of this study are pretty terrifying, and they should have everyone thinking about abandoning single-use bottled water in favor of reusable glass or other bottles made from safe materials.