U.S. university research team says, “It has not yet been verified what effect it will have on health.”
International Bottled Water Association: “These reports unnecessarily scare consumers.”
Research has shown that plastic water bottles contain more than hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles so small that they cannot be seen.
According to the Associated Press on the 8th (local time), a research team from Columbia University and Rutgers University announced the results of a study that found that an average of about 240,000 microplastic particles were detected as a result of examining three bottled water products sold in the United States. .
The research team investigated ultrafine plastic particles in the 1nm (nanometer) unit, which is smaller than 1㎛ (micrometer) at 5mm, the size of microplastics investigated in another study in 2018. The research team said, “As a result of examining the content of smaller microplastic particles, we found that there were about 10 to 100 times more microplastic particles than the existing figure.”
“Most microplastic particles appear to come from the bottle itself and the osmotic membrane filter used to block other contaminants,” said Naisin Chien, a physical chemist at Columbia University and lead author of the study. “We did not disclose the water bottles used in the study. “It may not be possible, but these products are commonly found in supermarkets,” he explained.
However, it is not yet known whether these microplastic particles are harmful to health. “We are currently looking into this issue,” said Phoebe Stapleton, a Rutgers University scientist and co-author of the study. “We don’t yet know how microplastics interact with cells or how dangerous they are.”
“Currently, there is a lack of standardized measures and no scientific consensus on the potential adverse health effects of microplastic particles,” the International Bottled Water Association said in a statement. “It is nothing more than an unnecessary scare.”
Scientists have expressed concern about microplastics, although their risks have not yet been verified. “The dangers of plastic itself are not yet known, but microplastics contain all kinds of chemical additives that can cause DNA damage and alter cell function,” said Jason Somarelli, a professor of medicine at Duke University who was not involved in the study. He said.
“It’s not yet known how microplastics affect our health, but if you’re concerned about this, you might want to consider using reusable bottles instead of single-use plastic,” said Bayzan Yan, a chemist at Columbia University.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.