There’s Much More Plastic in Water Bottles Than You Thought!

One of the biggest problems of today is microplastics. This plastic particlesThey are found everywhere, from beaches to the bottled water we drink. While they are harmful to the environment, they also have frightening effects on humans. According to researchers to the brain, immune, reproductive and nervous systems They can cause harm. Moreover to cancer It is also said why they happen.

via PNAS published A new study reveals that this particle problem is much worse than known. The one-litre water bottles we consume every day contain 100 times more plastic particles than expected, study finds.

240 thousand nanoplastics found in one liter of bottled water

Experts used a new technique to find plastic particles in the range of 50-100 nanometers, which are about the size of a virus. In the study, 1 liter water bottle samples were examined. Let us note that microplastics are the name given to particles of 5 millimeters and smaller. The particles discovered here are much smaller, sonanoplasticIt is called “.

Until now, researchers have not found fast and efficient techniques to identify nanoplastics. This made research on both environmental and health impacts difficult. This is exactly where the new study came into play. Wei Min, one of the writers, said, ““We opened the doors to a brand new world.” he said.

As a result of the study, only one liter of water bottle contains an average of 240 thousand nanoplastics reached. The fact that there are a quarter of a million in bottles is larger than expected. 10 to 100 times more It means they are.

Many types of harmful nanoplastics were found in bottles

In the study, scientists at Rutgers and Columbia Universities in the USA mixed bottled water of three different brands with a very thin layer. they filtered. Next, we used tests to identify the chemicals that bind nanoplastics to the vials. two lasers They kept it. After that, all that was left was to determine the amount of particles and the terrible result was achieved.

In addition to all this, they were also able to distinguish between types of nanoplastics. Interestingly, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which makes up the majority of the bottles, was recovered in smaller numbers than expected. Instead of polystyrene Harmful substances such as were found. It was stated that these may have passed into the bottles during the bottling or refining process.

Ultimately, the research is another indication that plastic particles are now everywhere and the situation needs to be taken seriously. In previous years, we even saw microplastics found circulating in human blood for the first time.