People who drink bottled water are being urged to stop, as scientists say harmful particles are found inside.
While researchers have encouraged people to swap plastic bottles for reusable ones in an effort to help the environment, it has been revealed that as well as sustainable benefits, there are also health ones.
Drinking lots of water is healthy regardless. However, there are differences in where you get your water from and how you consume it.
According to scientists, an average one-litre bottle of water has 240,000 plastic particles inside, which compared to tap water, is a major difference.
The average one litre of tap water has only five and a half plastic particles.
These particles are also called nanoplastics, and they have been linked to multiple health problems, including cancer, birth defects and fertility issues. What makes them dangerous is their size; being so small allows them to easily enter directly into blood cells and the brain.
Phthalates – the plastic used to create the bottles – have also been linked to health problems. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences said that the plastic is “linked with development, reproductive, brain, immune and other problems.”
Reflecting on information, environmental chemist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the study’s co-author, Beizhan Yan, said: “This was not surprising, since that is what many water bottles are made of.”
The expert also revealed that it’s not only water bottles that the plastic is used for.
He continued: “PET is also used for bottled sodas, sports drinks, and products such as ketchup and mayonnaise. It probably gets into the water as bits slough off when the bottle is squeezed or gets exposed to heat.”
Polyamide, a type of nylon, is another plastic particle discovered to be found in bottles of water.
The researcher added: “Ironically, this probably comes from plastic filters used to supposedly purify water before it is bottled.”
Although, there were suspicions surrounding whether bottled water was bad for people’s health, Beizhan Yan says the study will open up opportunities to study the “huge world of nanoplastics” that awaits.
