Microplastics are in almost all major brands of bottled water, and our bodies are ingesting those chemicals, according to researcher, Sherrie Mason, from State University of New York at Fredonia.
The average bottled water product contains about 10 microplastics per litre that our bodies are ingesting, according to a new study released by Orb Media.
Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic that are finding their way into the manufacturing process of bottled water these days.
"Certain brands had much higher counts than other brands, or higher densities rather, but they all had plastic within them," said Mason, professor of chemistry and chair of the Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences.
The global study examined 250 bottles from 11 different brands, out of nine countries.
Bottles varied from 500 ml to 2 litres. Among the many brands, Nestle Pure Life, showed the highest number of particles per litre with about 10,390 microplastics per litre, and a bottle of San Pellegrino's highest number was 74 microplastics per litre .
Instead, the issue wasn't brand-specific, but more, the chemicals embedded into the products when it's manufactured.
Mason says she doesn't want to raise alarm but hopes to make people aware of the presence of plastics, as more research becomes available.
"We shouldn't be freaking out at this point, but basically this is a warning," said Mason. "It's calling attention to the fact that plastics are becoming one of the biggest contaminants in our environment."
She's also concerned about the impact microplastics has on our bodies.
The small size (width of a human hair) and chemical make up of the microplastic, makes it easier for the body to absorb, rather than shed the chemical.
By using a standard infrared microscope, the contamination with plastic was found to contain polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
According to the research, about 90% of the particles that enter your body may be excreted.
However, Mason says the remaining microplastics are making their way across the gastrointestinal tract and into other areas of the body, including the intestines, pancreas, liver and lymphatic tissue in the gut.
But some countries rely heavily on bottled water, due to a lack of access to safe tap water.
About two million children die each year from waterborne disease caused by unsafe drinking water, according to the World Health Organization.
Still, many consumers in developed countries believe bottled water is safer than tap water.
"Multiple studies have shown that in fact, bottled water is not cleaner than tap water," said Mason to Orb Media.
For microplastics resembling the width of a human hair, bottled water samples contained nearly twice as many pieces of microplastic per litre (10.4) than tap water samples (4.45).
Still, many tend to feel safer drinking bottled water, while others purchase it out of convenience.
Global bottled water consumption has grown signficantly over the last decade with the U.S. market leading the way.
In 2016, U.S. product shipments of bottled water amounted to about US$6.88 billion.
If trends don't change, the ocean is expected to have more plastic than fish present by 2050, according to the United Nations.
It launched a global campaign in February 2017, urging countries to eliminate the use of microplastics through banning plastic bags or taxing certain products.
