{"id":119113,"date":"2024-01-17T10:15:12","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T15:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/?p=119113"},"modified":"2024-01-17T15:31:51","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T20:31:51","slug":"plastic-particles-more-prevalent-in-bottled-water-than-previously-thought-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/plastic-particles-more-prevalent-in-bottled-water-than-previously-thought-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Plastic Particles More Prevalent in Bottled Water Than Previously Thought, Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Samhar Almomani, Publishing Associate<\/span>: Researcher and Writer<\/span> at Save the Water\u2122 | January 17, 2024<\/span><\/p>\n

Plastic particles were always known to exist in bottled water, but the amount of plastic particles in bottled water has been underestimated. <\/span>According to a new study published in the journal <\/span>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>a one-liter water bottle can contain more than 240 thousand plastic fragments on average.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the microplastics discovered in this study had been previously undetected. This<\/span> could mean that the health issues related to the presence of plastic particles in bottled water may have been undercounted<\/span><\/a>. In fact, there had been <\/span>a previous study that estimated that humans consume a credit card’s worth of microscopic plastics a week.<\/span><\/a> Now, this seems to be a humble count.<\/span><\/p>\n

Up until this point, researchers <\/span>had to count microplastics present in water by hand.<\/span><\/a> Thus, it took a long time to make any accurate determinations about the amount of microplastics in water. However, <\/span>the new technique developed in this study was able to use Raman scattering microscopy<\/span><\/a>. This, when combined with other computer algorithms, makes the process of counting the prevalence of microplastics in water easier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plastic is prevalent in our daily lives and can be found in almost every aspect of life. <\/span><\/a>Microplastics are<\/span> plastics that are smaller than 5 millimeters long<\/span><\/a>. They can be formed in a number of ways. For example, the breaking down of larger pieces of plastic waste is a common source of microplastics that we end up ingesting. Microplastics can break down even further into nanoplastics, <\/span>which are less than one micrometer in length<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Do Microplastics Spread?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Unlike other organic matter, plastic does not break down into harmless pieces. While plastic does break down like other matter, <\/span>the smaller plastic particles remain dangerous<\/span><\/a>. Plastic particles in bottled water were first noted in 2018 after a study found an average of 325 particles per liter. Since then, estimates have grown larger.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Microplastics can also come from resin pellets and manufactured plastic beads. Resin pellets are used for plastic manufacturing, and manufactured plastic beads are used in some health and beauty products. <\/span>In 2015, President Obama signed the Microbead-Free Water Act of 2015. This law aimed to ban plastic microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

With items varying from synthetic textiles to tires causing the spread of microplastics<\/span><\/a>, it\u2019s extremely difficult to eliminate microplastics. Therefore, it\u2019s important to fully realize the scale of this public health emergency and act accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Health Hazards Caused by Microplastics and Nanoplastics<\/span><\/h2>\n

Due to the nature of their prevalence and small size, it\u2019s difficult to avoid microplastics. The researchers that conducted the study said that 90<\/span> percent of the plastic particles found in bottled water were small enough to be considered nanoplastics.<\/span><\/a> With that being said, why is it important to worry about avoiding microplastics and nanoplastics?<\/span><\/p>\n

There are several health hazards that result from an overexposure to microplastics and nanoplastics:<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n