Scientists Tested 3 Popular Bottled Water Brands for Nanoplastics—Here’s What They Found

A new study has revealed alarming results about nanoplastics in bottled water. Researchers found an average of 240,000 nanoplastics per 1-liter bottle in three popular brands. But what does this mean for our health?

Bottled Water: Convenience, Taste, and Perceived Safety

Brands like Evian, Fiji, Voss, SmartWater, Aquafina, and Dasani have become popular for bottled water—a product that humans have consumed for millennia. Despite studies showing bottled water isn’t necessarily safer than tap water, Americans continue to buy it in huge volumes, driven by convenience, taste, and the belief it’s safer.

Although public water supplies are regularly tested in most U.S. areas, concerns about tap water linger, often due to emergencies like floods that cause contamination or issues like lead pipes in certain communities.

New Study on Nanoplastics in Bottled Water

Researchers from Columbia University recently used innovative laser-guided technology to test three major bottled water brands for nanoplastics. This advanced technology, capable of detecting particles too small for previous methods, analyzed the type and chemical composition of nanoplastics.

The findings? Seven types of plastic were present: polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate. Compared to a 2018 study, which found about 300 plastic particles per liter of bottled water, this new study found 240,000 nanoplastic particles per liter on average.

What Are Nanoplastics?

Unlike microplastics, nanoplastics are so small they can’t be seen under a microscope, which makes them particularly concerning for health. Their tiny size allows them to invade human cells, potentially interfering with cellular processes.

Study co-author Phoebe Stapleton, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University, shared with CNN Health that these particles have already been found in various parts of the human body, including the placenta, lung tissues, feces, and blood. Yet, the health implications of this are still unknown.

Lingering Questions for Researchers
Key questions remain unanswered:

• How many nanoplastics are needed to cause harm?
• What kind of health issues might they trigger?
• Is there a cumulative effect over time?

Scientists haven’t yet been able to answer these questions, though some studies show that microplastic exposure can reduce cell viability. Nanoplastics, being even smaller, could pose greater risks, but more research is needed to confirm this.

Health Risks Beyond the Plastics

Dr. Sara Benede from the Spanish National Research Council highlighted another concern: nanoplastics can act as carriers for other substances. They can bind with compounds in fluids, potentially carrying environmental pollutants, toxins, antibiotics, or microorganisms.

Where Are These Nanoplastics Coming From?

This study focused on bottled water, which is typically packaged in plastic. The filters used in the bottling process are often plastic as well, potentially introducing nanoplastics into the water. Additionally, microplastics have been found in lakes and streams, so it’s likely that nanoplastics also exist in these natural sources.

However, bottled water generally has higher plastic particle counts than tap water, suggesting most nanoplastics come from the bottling and packaging process itself.

Ongoing Research Needed
Lead author Naixin Qian, a chemistry doctoral student at Columbia University, noted, “Based on other studies, we expected most microplastics in bottled water would come from the plastic bottle itself, which is typically made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic. However, we found…”

The research continues, aiming to uncover more about the presence of nanoplastics in our drinking water and what this could mean for public health.

–Source: upworthy.com