Story at-a-glance
- Using new technology, researchers were able to more accurately detect single nanoparticle plastics smaller than 100 nanometers (nm) and found concentrations that ranged from 110,000 to 370,000 particles per 1 liter of water
- This was far higher than the 2018 estimate that found an average of 325 microplastic particles per bottle; the technology found millions of nanoparticles that were not among the seven types of plastics the algorithm could identify, suggesting they did not originate from the bottle
- The size of the nanoparticles creates the most questions and concerns as they can get into individual cells and cause dysfunction in major organs when they deposit endocrine-disrupting chemicals
- Plastic has contributed greatly to the throwaway society in which we live. Municipal wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to filter out plastic particles and one study using older technology estimated we consume an average of one credit card’s worth of plastic each week
- There’s evidence that plastic chemicals are harming the health of future generations through intergenerational endocrine disruption. We can all have an impact on plastic pollution by not adding to it, such as avoiding plastic bags and water bottles, and washing synthetic clothes less frequently
Using a hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) imaging platform, researchers1 were able to detect single nanoparticle plastics smaller than 100 nanometers (nm) more accurately than before. Researchers were able to identify seven types of plastic particles and count concentrations that ranged from 110,000 to 370,000 particles per 1 liter of water, far higher than the estimate in 2018 that found an average of 325 microplastic particles per bottle.2
Continue reading “Does Your Bottled Water Contain Nanoplastics?”
