Plastic particles found in top bottled water brands; health hazards not known

Answer: Recycled Plastic Bottles (Image: Reuters)

A study has claimed that the world’s leading brands of bottled water contained particulates of plastic, which is believed to entered the water during the packaging process.

In a study conducted by Sherri Mason of the State University of New York at Fredonia, as cited by AFP, researchers took samples from 250 bottles of water in Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Brazil, China, India,Thailand and the US, only found “widespread contamination” with plastic.

Close to 93 percent of the samples were found to have been contaminated by plastic particles.

The report said that water bottles of Bisleri also had plastic particles in them. Major brands such as Aqua, Nestle Pure Life Aquafina, Dasani, Evian, and San Pellegrino had anywhere between 0 to 10,000 particles of plastic in a single bottle. These bottles contained polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

However, the report did not confirm whether the plastic in the water had an health hazards.

"There are connections to increases in certain kinds of cancer to lower sperm count to increases in conditions like ADHD and autism," cautioned Mason and added that the main culprit of the plastic in the water could be the bottle, the cap or the processes that go with bottling of water.

An average of 10.4 plastic particles per litre were found in the 100 micron (0.10 millimeter) size. Close to 325 particles per litre were found of an even smaller size.