Bottled water companies are pushing back against reports of nano and microplastics in bottled water.
A recent study from Columbia University found that the average gallon of bottled water purchased at the store contains more than 240,000 nanoplastics linked to cancer, birth defects and infertility.
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) acknowledged that it did not accurately review the research, but still maintains that the health effects are understudied and inconclusive.
The IBWA said these reports “unnecessarily frighten consumers”, but several independent experts told Dailymail.com that just because water comes from a bottle does not mean it is safer or better regulated.
The IBWA has opposed a study that found more than 240,000 nanoplastics were found in bottled water. The association claimed that the science makes no sense
Researchers at Columbia University looked at three brands of bottled water to determine how much nanoplastics they contained
Avinash Kar, senior attorney and senior director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, told DailyMail.com: ‘While most bottled water is relatively clean, tests have shown that some of it contains contaminants of concern, ranging from microplastics to toxic ‘forever chemicals ‘.
Michael Belliveau, co-author and executive director of Defend Our Health based in Portland, Maine, told Dailymail.com last week: ‘This study shows that preventing plastic pollution can reduce the incidence of disease, disability and premature death, and the associated human consequences. suffering and health care costs.”
Despite expert warnings, the IBWA continues to insist that it is okay for consumers to ingest nanoparticles every time they take a sip of bottled water, while trying to discredit scientists and their findings.
The IBWA told Dailymail.com: ‘There is currently both a lack of standardized methods and no scientific consensus on the potential health effects of nano- and microplastic particles.’
Although the IBWA disputes scientific research, some researchers estimate that more than a million people die each year from plastic-related diseases.
A New York University study estimates that microplastic exposure cost the U.S. healthcare system approximately $289 billion in 2018 alone.
Researchers believe the chemicals found in nanoplastics could be a contributing factor to the rising number of young people diagnosed with cancer.
Scientists are still assessing the long-term dangers that consuming nanoplastics poses to public health, said Phoebe Stapleton, a toxicologist at Rutgers and co-author of the study from Columbia University.
She said AP News what we do know is ‘that they get into the tissues (of mammals, including humans)… and current research is looking at what they do inside the cells.’
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told DailyMail.com last week that it is “not aware of any scientific evidence that would support consumer concerns about the potential levels of microplastic or nanoplastic contamination in food, including bottled water.”
The IBWA claimed that it is more important to look at the amount of nano and microplastics in the environment, including soil, air and water, adding that there is no research to support that nanoplastics are harmful to human health.
Researchers identified the three most important nanoparticles: polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide and polystyrene
However, the Columbia University researchers said that because the nanoparticles are so small – measuring less than one micrometer, which is 70 times smaller than a piece of human hair – they could actually cause more damage than if the particles were larger.
“This size disparity significantly affects their interactions with the human body and the environment,” said Beizhan Yan, a chemist who co-authored the Columbia study.
Yan told DailyMail.com that the smaller size of nanoplastics means they are more likely to penetrate primary biological membranes (for example, the lining of the gastrointestinal tract) and secondary barriers, such as the placenta and the blood-brain barrier, potentially leading to more serious health consequences. compared to microplastics.’
The study used a new technique that Columbia biophysicist and co-author Wei Min developed called stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy.
SRS uses two lasers to identify seven common nanoplastics in the bottled water and enters the data into a computer to confirm the results through a data-based algorithm.
The IBWA stated that studies using analytical methods such as those used by Columbia University “should no longer be published.”
“There is currently both a lack of standardized methods and no scientific consensus on the potential health impacts of nano- and microplastic particles,” the IBWA said.
The association further suggested that scientific research and studies are not valid and demanded that “scientists and ideally journalists should take a critical look at applied methods before relying on the results of studies.”
Dailymail.com has contacted WHO for comment.