Are there dangerous microplastics in drinking water?

Is it true that there are microplastics in drinking water?

Recently, scientists from Columbia University modified a method for detecting plastic nanoparticles less than 1 micrometer in size and developed an algorithm for identifying seven types of polymer materials.

To test the new development, they analyzed three popular brands of drinking water and found that in 1 liter contained about 240,000 small particles of plastic, 90% of which are nanoplastic. This is 10–100 times more than previously thought, when scientists could only detect large particles.

According to the analysis results, it turned out that the water contains all seven types of plastic that could be detected using the new development. The most common was polyamide, a type of nylon often used in filters. There was also a lot of polyethylene terephthalate in the water, which is what bottles are made from.

Other substances found included polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate and polystyrene, which could have come into contact with water during its purification.

Moreover, the method identified millions of other plastic particles that were not included in the designated seven categories.

Thus, bottled water contains many polymer microparticles. They enter the body when drinking, can penetrate tissues and organs and remain there for some time. Let’s figure out whether we should worry about this.

Can micro- and nanoplastics harm health?

Thanks to modern spectroscopy methods, plastic found in blood, lungsintestines, feces people and even in reproductive organs such as testicles And placenta.

There is information that such pollution can cause health problems, but studies are few and the results are mixed.

There is evidence that microplastics Maybe disrupt the intestinal barrier function, adversely affect the microflora and increase risk of inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases. Especially for those who already suffer from problems with the digestive system.

Scientists also suggestthat plastic particles can increase inflammation and oxidative stress in cells of other organs, disrupt fat metabolism and have neurotoxicity.

But since most experiments are carried out on human cells in vitro or on animals, it is impossible to say exactly how harmful microplastics are.

Should you worry about microplastic particles in your water?

In a report from the World Health Organization indicatedthat there is currently not enough information about how plastic nanoparticles are absorbed, retained and eliminated from the body. It is also unknown whether they pass through biological barriers once they reach the epithelium or enter the blood.

Scientists do not know whether plastic can harm the body and what dose should be received daily for the risks of any diseases to increase.

At the same time, we must understand that in the modern world it is unlikely that it will be possible to prevent plastic particles from entering the body. The authors of the WHO report noted that microplastics contained in salt, fish and seafood such as mussels. It is also found in sugar, rice, honey, milk, and beer. Moreover, microparticles can get into any food if it is stored, much less heated, in packaging.

Also plastic Maybe penetrate the body with toothpaste and lip gloss, polymer materials of dental implants, and tattoo paint.

So plastic is everywhere. It penetrates the body, is eliminated from it and sometimes remains in the tissues. Scientists around the world do not know whether it is harmful to health. And until there is clear evidence, there is definitely no need to sound the alarm.

Is it possible to reduce the amount of microplastics in drinking water?

If you’re still concerned about microplastics in your drinking water, there are several ways you can reduce them.

First of all, you should not reuse plastic bottles; it is better to recycle them. In one German study, scientists found that there were microplastics in water from disposable bottles. lessthan one that has been in a reusable container.

In addition, you can completely abandon PET packaging and switch to boiling. According to the results reviewthere is still less microplastic in tap water than in bottled water.

And a recent Chinese study showedthat boiling water helps remove microplastics from it. The degree of purification depends on the hardness of the water, or more precisely, on the amount of calcium carbonate.

During the boiling process, microplastics bind to particles of this inorganic compound and precipitate in the form of scale. Since there is not much calcium carbonate in soft water, the thermal effect removes about 25% of microplastics from it. But this cleans hard water by at least 80%.