New Findings Suggest There Are Approximately 240,000 Plastic Fragments In An Average Liter Of Bottled Water, According To Recent Research Conducted By Scientists At Columbia University And Rutgers University
Microplastics pollute beaches around the globe and have been detected in marine organisms. Now, recent findings suggest they’re even more abundant in bottled drinking water than previously thought.
A study led by researchers from Columbia University and Rutgers University revealed that there are approximately 240,000 plastic fragments in an average liter of bottled water. This discovery highlighted concentrations 10 to 100 times higher than earlier estimates.
Around 90% of the plastic particles identified were nanoplastics; meanwhile, microplastics accounted for the remaining 10%. Microplastics measure between 5 millimeters and 1 micrometer in size, whereas nanoplastics are defined as less than 1 micrometer.
To put this into perspective, the thickness of human hair is roughly 70 micrometers.
Microplastics have been detected in various human-related environments, including in our lungs, feces, and blood.
A study published in 2018 also revealed that there are typically 325 microplastic pieces per liter in bottled water.
According to Wei Min, the study’s co-author and a chemistry professor at Columbia University, nanoplastics actually have the potential to be more harmful inside the human body despite their smaller size.
“The smaller it goes, the easier for it to be misidentified as the natural component of the cell,” Min said.
For the study, the research team employed a method known as stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, which uses two lasers to detect the particles. Afterward, they utilized machine learning algorithms to classify these particles.
yrabota – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
This approach was specifically designed to identify seven widespread types of plastic, including polypropylene, polyamide 66, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate.
The researchers also examined bottled water from three different brands, although the brand names themselves were not disclosed.
Beizhan Yan, a co-author of the study and research professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, explained that only 10% of the particles they discovered were identifiable. The remaining 90% might be minerals, different kinds of plastics, or other substances.
The International Bottled Water Association, a trade organization representing water bottlers and distributors in the U.S. and globally, acknowledged in a statement that they had “very limited notice and time” to evaluate the study thoroughly.
However, they emphasized that the new detection method used in the study should undergo a comprehensive review by the scientific community.
Additionally, they pointed out the need for more research to establish “standardized methods for measuring and quantifying nanoplastics in our environment.”
The association stated that there is currently no widely accepted “scientific consensus” regarding the potential health effects of nanoplastics and microplastics. They also noted that media coverage on this topic tends to alarm consumers without justification.
The research team speculates that, somewhat paradoxically, some of the plastics found in bottled water may originate from the plastic components used in certain types of water filters.
According to Phoebe Stapleton, a pharmacology and toxicology professor at Rutgers University who also co-authored the study, the findings are significant because, while it’s been known that nanoplastics are in our water, it’s hard to accept without visual evidence.
“If you can’t quantify them or can’t make a visual of them, it’s hard to believe that they’re actually there,” she said.
“[The study] brings that to light, and not only provides what is a computer generated image, but it also allows for the quantification and, even more importantly, the chemistry of that quantification.”
Now, the researchers plan to conduct further research using the same technology to analyze plastic particles in other environments– such as in food, tap water, the air, and even in human tissues.
They hope this study, along with future work, will pave the way to a better understanding of the extent to which humans are routinely ingesting plastics, as well as the consequent impacts on health.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, visit the link here.
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