A new study revealed Tuesday that bottled water contains 100 times more plastic than previously believed.
A one-liter water bottle is composed of approximately 240,000 plastic particles, the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found. The study was the first to test for levels of nanoplastics, which are particles smaller than one micrometer in length. Previous studies only assessed the level of microplastics, which are between one and 5,000 micrometers in length.
Scientists Find About a Quarter Million Invisible Nanoplastic Particles in a Liter of Bottled Waterhttps://t.co/uoNeATC2Ak
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) January 10, 2024
“The investigation into the health impacts of nanoplastics is currently at a nascent stage, necessitating further research,” study co-author Beizhan Yan, an environmental chemist at Columbia University, told the New York Post on Tuesday. (RELATED: Walmart, Target And Amazon Stop Carrying Product That Killed Children, Clogs Plumbing)
Researchers used new microscopy technology on 25 brands of bottled water. Nearly 110,000 and 370,000 plastic particles, 90% being nanoplastics, were found in each one-liter drink, the study found, according to the outlet.
“I would recommend the consumer to consider to switch to other options, such as tap water and reusable water bottles,” Yan said.
President Joe Biden’s administration reversed a Trump-era policy allowing the sale of single-use plastics, like plastic water bottles and soda bottles, at U.S. parks in June 2022. The order aims to reduce plastic pollution at national parks and other public lands by 2032 by ending the sale of plastic items intended to be disposed of immediately after use.