Carrying bottled water on the go is very common. And 95% times this water comes in plastic bottles that are supposed to be safe for health.
However, a recent study has once again showcased how hazardous it is to use plastic in everyday life.
Nano-plastics have been found in bottled water
A new study has revealed that bottled water that is available on grocery store shelves may contain 10 to 100 times fine bits or nanoparticles of plastic that are so tiny that it is not possible to see them even under a microscope.
Their size is around 1,000th of the average width of the hair of a human. Thus they are so tiny that they can easily transit from one tissue to another from the digestive system to the lungs and the bloodstream.
In this way, harmful synthetic chemicals are distributed throughout the body. On average one liter of such bottled water consists of around 240,000 nanoparticles of seven different types of plastics. Out of these 90 percent were nanoplastics whereas 10 percent were microplastics, the study says.
Drinking tap water from glass/steel containers is safer
The study once again reinforces the fact that the age-old method of drinking tap water from stainless steel or glass containers is the best way to reduce exposure to plastics. Not surprisingly, the same holds for other drinks and foods that are available in plastic packaging.
A researcher (not working on this study) said, “People don’t think of plastics as shedding but they do. In almost the same way we’re constantly shedding skin cells, plastics are constantly shedding little bits that break off, such as when you open that plastic container for your store-bought salad or cheese that’s wrapped in plastic.”
Plastic pollution inside your body
In a 2018 study, the nano and microplastics were first detected in samples of bottled water sold by more than 10 different brands from nine countries.
According to experts we as humans must worry about the presence of nano-plastics as it is like introducing plastic pollution inside the body. These nanoparticles invade the cells and tissues of major organs and have the potential to interrupt cellular processes by depositing harmful chemicals like flame retardants, phthalates, bisphenols, heavy metals, and PFAS.
The chemicals are not only carried to the kidney or liver but many times they also go into the body of an unborn child through the placenta leading to severe health issues.