And be especially wary of this brand - it's the worst offender with a whopping 10,390. These bits and pieces may be so tiny they're invisible to the naked eye, but that doesn't mean they don't turn into deadly land mines once you swallow them.
Most Bottled Water Contaminated With Plastics
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Tests reveal bottled water contains nearly twice as many microplastic particles per liter as tap water. The contamination was thought to originate from the manufacturing process of the bottles and caps
Researchers tested 259 bottles of 11 popular bottled water brands for the presence of microscopic plastic. On average, the bottled water tested contained 325 pieces of microplastic per liter
Only 17 of 259 bottles were found to be free of microplastic particles, and none of the brands tested consistently free of plastic contaminants. The worst offender was Nestlé Pure Life, the most contaminated sample of which contained 10,390 particles per liter
In response to these findings, the World Health Organization vowed to launch a safety review to assess the potential short- and long-term health risks of consuming microplastic in water
A report by the U.K. Government Office for Science warned that plastic debris littering the world’s oceans — 70 percent of which does not biodegrade — is likely to triple by 2025 unless radical steps are taken to curb pollution
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This article was previously published April 21, 2018, and has been updated with new information.
Plastic has become an incredibly harmful convenience, now threatening environmental and human health alike, and in more ways than one. There's the issue of bulk plastics in our landfills, where it will remain indefinitely since most plastic does not biodegrade,1 and microplastics — microscopic pieces of degraded plastic — which now choke waterways across the globe and contaminate drinking water and sea life.
On top of that, there are the chemicals used in the production of plastic, many of which have hormone-mimicking activity, thereby threatening animal and human health, including reproductive health. Disturbingly, recent tests reveal most bottled water contains microplastic pollution2 — contamination thought to originate from the manufacturing process of the bottles and caps.
As shown in the featured video, in 2018 a CBC Marketplace investigation of bottled water found plastic contamination, including rayon and polyethylene, in 30 of 50 water bottles tested. Plastic was even found in bottled water that was sold in a glass container.
Researchers at the State University of New York also tested 259 bottles of 11 popular bottled water brands for the presence of microscopic plastic on behalf of Orb Media, a nonprofit journalism organization. Brands included Aquafina, Nestle Pure Life, Evian, Dasani and San Pelligerino. On average, the bottled water tested contained 325 pieces of microplastic per liter; just over 10 of those pieces were at least 100 microns in size, the rest were smaller. Most of these bits and pieces are so tiny they're invisible to the naked eye. To reveal them, the researchers used a special dye that binds to plastic, combined with infrared laser and blue light. Using orange-colored glasses, you can see the particles appear light up like stars in the night sky when the water sample is viewed under a microscope.
Bottled Water Contaminated With Microscopic Plastic
Overall, only 17 of the 259 bottles were found to be free of microplastic particles, and none of the brands tested consistently free of plastic contaminants. The worst offender was Nestlé Pure Life, the most contaminated sample of which contained 10,390 particles per liter, while the least contaminated brand, San Pellegrino, contained a high-end density of 74 particles per liter. Here's a summary breakdown of the most and least contaminated brands:3
