Plastic particles in bottled water
Researchers at Columbia University developed an imaging technique to detect nanoplastics in bottled water. A liter contains 240,000 plastic pieces, 90% being nanoplastics like polyamide and PET. The method, using SRS microscopy, aids in studying human exposure to nanoplastics and analyzing environmental samples.
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Researchers at Columbia University have developed an imaging technique that can detect thousands of tiny plastic particles in common single-use bottled water. These particles, known as nanoplastics, are less than 1 μm in size and can enter the body's cells and tissues. The study found that a liter of bottled water contains an average of 240,000 plastic pieces, with 90% being nanoplastics. The most common types of plastic detected were polyamide and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly used in water bottles. The researchers used a modified imaging technique called stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy to identify these particles without the need for labeling specific molecules. This new approach will help advance understanding of human exposure to nanoplastics and could be applied to analyze other environmental samples in the future. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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8 commentsAs someone with a less than average understanding of medicine and health in general, I don't know what to do with this information other than be sad and concerned.
(To be clear I would very much rather _not_ have microplastics in my body.)
Do new plastic bottles release more particles, or rather old reused ones?
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