Leading Bottled Water Brands Contain Hazardous Plastic Particles: Report

A State University of New York study has concluded that all major bottled water brands contain plastic contaminants. The results were released by a US-based non-profit media house – Orb Media – after the researcher Sherri Mason concluded her research.

The team working on the project gathered 250 water samples from following countries;

• The United States,
• Thailand,
• India,
• Kenya,
• Lebanon,
• Mexico,
• Brazil,
• Indonesia, and,
• China.

The results from the research were shocking as 93% of the samples contained plastic particles of various sizes.

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The Contaminated Brands

The samples mentioned above contain plastic particles such as nylon, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The brands under that were found to contain plastic debris include;

• Dasani,
• Aqua,
• Aquafina,
• Nestle Pure Life,
• San Pellegrino,
• Evian,
• Epura,
• Bisleri,
• Gerolsteiner,
• Minalba, and,
• Wahaha.

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The major source of plastic debris in the bottles was from the bottle caps. The research mentioned that nylon and PET etc, found in the samples, are used to make the bottle caps. Mason told;

In this study, 65pc of the particles we found were actually fragments and not fibers. I think it is coming through the process of bottling the water. I think that most of the plastic that we are seeing is coming from the bottle itself, it is coming from the cap, it is coming from the industrial process of bottling the water.

The Concentration

The particle concentration in the samples ranged from zero to more than 10,000 plastic particles in a single bottle. The average size of the particles was found to be 0.10 millimeters. These microplastics were found at a rate of about 10.4 particles per liter while smaller particles were in greater number – that is 325 particles per liter.

Detailing the health hazard of plastic contaminants, the report adds;

There are connections to increases in certain kinds of cancer to lower sperm count to increases in conditions like ADHD and autism. We know that they are connected to these synthetic chemicals in the environment and we know that plastics are providing kind of a means to get those chemicals into our bodies.

The lead researcher added that tap water also contains plastic particles, however, their concentration is much lower as compared to the bottled water which makes tap water safer. Another researcher added that “it’s more urgent now than ever before to make plastic water bottles a thing of the past.”