Bottled water is full of plastic particles. Can they harm your health?

According to research, a liter of bottled water contains on average almost a quarter of a million pieces of nanoplastic new research published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

These nanoplastics, which are less than a micron in size, are often only a fraction of the size of a speck of dust in the home. In the new study, scientists developed a new imaging technique that showed that the number of nanoplastic particles in bottled water was between 10 and 100 times higher than previously estimated, said Wei Min, a biophysicist at Columbia University and co-author of the study. .

“Millions of tons of plastic are produced around the world every year,” said Douglas Walker, an analytical chemist at Emory University who was not involved in the new research. Microscopic particles from these plastics can end up in food and drinks during the manufacturing process – for example, they can enter through plastic pipes used in machinery – or leach from packaging such as plastic bottles.

“If you think about the potential of their presence as environmental pollutants, it’s enormous,” he said.

But while nanoplastics and slightly larger particles known as microplastics are becoming increasingly common in our world food, drinks and even our bodies, their effects on our health are still unclear.

Here’s what we know so far and what you can do to reduce your exposure.

Can nanoplastics in water be harmful to your health?

Researchers do not yet have strong evidence for how these particles affect our health. A handful of small studies have shown that they can cross the border blood-brain barrierenter the placenta and appear in our urine.

“But if a particular microplastic or nanoplastic is present in a tissue, that doesn’t necessarily mean it causes harm,” says Dr. Konstantinos Lazaridis, a gastroenterologist who studies the role of environmental factors in liver disease at Mayo Clinic.

It’s possible that small plastic pieces simply pass through most people’s bodies without causing much damage, said Dr. Lazaridis. Or it could be that these environmental particles only impact people who already have a genetic predisposition to disease, he said.

Some researchers have theorized that microplastics may be behind disease patterns that cannot yet be explained by other causes, such as disease increases. colorectal cancer among young peopleor the revival Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. But studies are far from conclusive.

Scientists studying microplastics and nanoplastics believe that “the smaller the particle size, the more dangerous it can be,” said Dr. Min. In other words, nanoplastics may have a greater impact on health than microplastics because there are more of them and because they may be able to enter cells more easily.

A growing body of literature suggests that at least some additives and chemicals found in and next to plastics can harm our health, said Dr. Walker. This includes chemicals such as bisphenol A or BPA, which has been linked to increased blood pressure and type 2 diabetes; per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which can affect fertility; and phthalates, which can disrupt hormones.

But many other chemicals used in plastic production have not been studied for toxicity in humans. One study identified more than 10,000 unique connections used in plastic production and found that only a very small fraction had been evaluated for their potential health effects, said Dr. Walker.

Experts also need to better understand exactly how quickly different plastic particles and additives enter our systems, how much must accumulate to produce an effect, and how long they stick around.

How can you minimize your exposure?

You may not be able to avoid nanoplastics and microplastics entirely, but if you want to be on the safe side, you can take steps to reduce your exposure, Dr. Walker said.

Drink filtered tap water whenever possible. A filter with a pore size of 1 micron or less can help reduce microplastics in your water; smaller micron pores will filter out smaller particles better. But you should make sure your filter itself isn’t made of plastic, said Dr. Walker. Instead, use ceramic or carbon filters certified by NSF International or the Water Quality Association.

If you’re on the go, consider using a glass or stainless steel bottle. But if you need to hydrate and only have access to a plastic water bottle, that’s fine, Dr. Walker said. You can minimize plastic degradation by keeping your bottle away from sunlight and heat.

If you want to further reduce your exposure, Dr. Walker, try limiting your use of other plastic products, such as single-use food containers and shopping bags.