Scientists have issued an urgent warning telling people to stop drinking bottled water due to the harmful particles they could be ingesting. According to a study, water from a plastic bottle contains hundreds of thousands of dangerous plastic particles.
In recent years people have been encouraged to ditch plastic bottles in favour of reusable ones for environmental reasons. However, it could also be vital for our health.
Researchers from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory discovered that the average one-litre bottle of water has 240,000 plastic particles inside. This was 10 to 100 times greater than previous estimates, which were based mainly on larger sizes.
These particles, which are known as nanoplastics, have been linked to multiple health problems, such as cancer, birth defects and fertility issues. What makes them so deadly is their miniscule size: being so small allows them to easily enter directly into blood cells and the brain.
Moreover, the plastic used to create the bottles – phthalates – have also been linked to health problems. As reported by Express.co.uk, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences said that the plastic is “linked with development, reproductive, brain, immune and other problems.”
In a release by the university, study authors said the findings were “not surprising”, since many water bottles are made of phthalates. They further warned that these plastics are used for other things such as bottled sodas, sports drinks, and products such as ketchup and mayonnaise.
Polyamide, a type of nylon, was another plastic particle discovered to be found in bottles of water. Researchers said this could come from plastic filters used to supposedly purify water before it is bottled.
Qixuan Chen, an associate professor at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and study co-author, said: “The study findings unveil a fresh perspective, enabling a more profound comprehension of the implications of plastic on both the environment and human health.”
The team is now looking beyond bottled water. Study co-author Wei Min added: “There is a huge world of nanoplastics to be studied. It’s not size that matters. It’s the numbers, because the smaller things are, the more easily they can get inside us.”
It is not just bottled water that we need to be careful about. A more recent study found that tea bags can release anywhere from 8 million to 1.2 billion nanoplastic particles into your cup, with polypropylene bags being the worst offenders.