Big questions are being raised about a primary source of drinking water for many people around the world. New research has revealed the average liter of bottled water sold in retail outlets could contain nearly a quarter million invisible pieces of tiny nanoplastics.
The groundbreaking study was released Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Researchers had long theorized there were lots of microscopic plastic particles in bottled water, but until researchers at Columbia and Rutgers universities did their calculations they never knew how many or what kind. The invisible bits of plastic were detected and categorized for the first time by scientists using a microscope with dual lasers.
Examining five water samples from each of three common water brands, the scientists found particle levels ranged from 110,000 to 400,000 per liter, averaging at around 240,000, according to the PNAS study.
These nanoplastics measure less than a micron in size and are invisible to the human eye. For example, there are 25,400 micros or micrometers in an inch. A human hair measures about 83 microns wide.
A lot of the plastic seems to be coming from the bottle itself and the reverse osmosis membrane filter used
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