Every sip of bottled water puts you at serious risk
Bottled water is not chemical-free- a new study has shed more light on this hard-hitting truth. Researchers at Columbia University and Rutgers University have found that bottled water is far worse than one can imagine of. The researchers have found that on an average, a litre contained some 240,000 detectable plastic fragments -- 10 to 100 times greater than previous estimates, which were based mainly on larger sizes.
Invisible plastics, fragmented beyond the micron level account for over 90% of the plastic particles detected
The study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers focussed on nanoplastics -- the spawn of microplastics that have broken down even further. The researchers have said that their findings "is two to three orders of magnitude more than the previously reported results merely focusing on large microplastics."
How is this a serious health concern?
Nanoplastics, minute particles resulting from the breakdown of larger plastic debris, pose significant health hazards. Their tiny size allows easy absorption into biological systems, leading to potential toxicity. Nanoplastics can accumulate in organs and tissues, causing inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of cellular functions. Moreover, they may carry harmful chemicals and act as carriers for pathogens, exacerbating health risks. The long-term impact of nanoplastic exposure is a growing concern, with potential implications for human health, including cardiovascular and respiratory issues, as well as adverse effects on the immune and reproductive systems. Efforts to mitigate plastic pollution are crucial to address these emerging health threats.
"This opens a window where we can look into a world that was not exposed to us before"
"Previously this was just a dark area, uncharted. Toxicity studies were just guessing what's in there," said Beizhan Yan, environmental chemist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Using a technique called stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, which involves probing samples with two simultaneous lasers that are tuned to make specific molecules resonate, the researchers tested three popular brands of bottled water sold in the US (they declined to name which ones), analysing plastic particles down to just 100 nanometers in size.
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What is Raman scattering microscopy?
(With inputs from Bloomberg)