Author: Sharon Oosthoek / Source: Science News for Students
Tiny plastic bits contaminate bottled water sold around the world, a new study finds.
For now, scientists can only guess at the source of the plastic. Whether ingesting it might pose any risk also remains unknown.Researchers tested more than 250 bottles of water. They came from nine countries and were sold under 11 different brands. These included Nestle Pure Life, Aquafina, Dasani, Evian, San Pellegrino and Gerolsteiner. Plastic turned up in 93 out of every 100 of the bottles.
Each tainted liter (almost one quart) held an average of 10 particles wider than a human hair, along with 300 smaller particles. But some bottles contained more — thousands of the floating specks. These really tiny bits are often referred to as microplastic fibers.
Many of these particles “are small enough to be transported through our bodies and end up in our organs,” says Sherri Mason. She is a chemist at the State University of New York in Fredonia.
Mason and her team tested the water on behalf of Orb Media, a nonprofit journalism group based in the United States. Orb Media’s partners include the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Both of those outlets published stories about the research last month. To date, the results have not yet been peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal. The researchers did, however, post details of their study online March 14.
A continuing problem
Plastic pollution in the environment is nothing new. Tiny bits of plastic have turned up in rivers, lakes and oceans. Finding them has been easy. Figuring out their source has been harder.
Microplastics in water can come from larger pieces of plastic that break down in landfills and oceans. Sunlight and ocean waves also help break up pieces of plastic. Even clothes can shed microplastics. Fabrics such as fleece and nylon are made from plastic. When washed, they shed bits of plastic lint. It travels from the wash water down household drains and eventually into rivers, lakes and oceans.
Other microplastic beads go in some toothpastes and skin-care products. These beads help scrub away tooth plaque and dead skin cells. Then they, too, wash down the drain.
The most common type of plastic that Mason and her team found in bottled water…
The post Plastic taints most bottled water, study finds appeared first on FeedBox.