Study links bottled water to microplastic contamination that poses chronic health risks.
A new study has revealed that bottled water may contain harmful substances such as toxic elements, chemical additives, and microplastics that can endanger human health over time.
Published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, the research reviewed over 140 scientific studies and found that an average person ingests between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles yearly with bottled water users consuming about 90,000 more particles than those who drink tap water.
Researchers explained that microplastics, ranging from one micron to five millimetres, are invisible to the eye and shed from low-quality plastic bottles during manufacturing, storage, and transportation.
“Drinking water from plastic bottles is fine in an emergency, but it is not something that should be used in daily life,” said Sarah Sajedi, one of the study’s authors. “The issue is not acute toxicity it is chronic toxicity.”
Experts warn that these particles can enter the bloodstream, reach vital organs, and potentially cause inflammation, hormonal disruption, and cancer.