If you drink bottled water, there’s a good chance you’re downing a little something extra each time you take a sip. According to a recent study published in Frontiers in Chemistry, plastic contamination in bottled water is a bigger problem than you might think. When researchers analyzed samples taken from 259 bottled waters sold in several countries, they found that 93% of them contained microplastic synthetic polymer particles. Even worse — some of those particles were big enough to see without a magnifying glass or a microscope.
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Bottled water brands that were tested include some of the most popular and widely available in the United States, such as Aqua, Aquafina, Dasani, Evian and Nestle Pure Life. Samples from the brands tested showed varying amounts of plastic contamination, but the average across the brands was 325 microplastic particles per liter of bottled water.
The biggest offender? Nestle Pure Life. Of all the brands tested, Nestle Pure Life had the largest average concentration of plastic particles. One sample from the brand contained more than 10,000 microplastic particles per liter.
The study sparked headlines and led to an announcement from the World Health Organization. The group said they plan to investigate the safety of bottled water and the results should be published later this year.
Unfortunately, plastic contamination doesn’t just affect bottled water. Plastic particles are contaminating the air, soil and water — including U.S. groundwater. They enter the body through ingestion and inhalation — and some plastic particles are small enough to pass through the body’s protective tissues and into the bloodstream and organs.
In addition to the health risks of drinking bottled water that may be contaminated with plastic particles, purchasing and drinking bottled water is also seriously detrimental to the environment. If you’re still buying bottled water, it might be time to become part of the solution, instead of part of the problem.
Ditch bottled water and invest in a good water filtration system for your home. Fill your own reusable bottles with filtered tap water instead. Other ways you can help include recycling what you can, reducing your use of all things plastic and avoiding personal care items that contain microbeads.