10-100x More Nanoplastics In Drinking Water

CLIFF NOTES

• A new study says nanoplastics in U.S. drinking water were badly underestimated.
• Plastic levels in tap and bottled water were 10–100 times higher than earlier estimates.
• Bottled water had three times more nanoplastics than tap.
• Nanoplastics made up over 50% of particles found in both types of water.
• Health risks are still unclear, but scientists say reducing exposure is safer.

A new study reports that nanoplastics in drinking water in the U.S. have been widely underestimated. Using newer lab methods, researchers found plastic levels in both tap and bottled water were 10 to 100 times higher than earlier estimates. The work also found higher nanoplastic concentrations in bottled water than in treated tap water.

What did the study find about nanoplastics in drinking water?

Researchers found far more plastic particles than past studies detected.

• The study found the amount of plastic in tap and bottled water was 10–100 times higher than previous estimates.
• Nanoplastic concentrations were three times higher in bottled water than tap.
• Overall micro and nano plastics (MNPs) were twice as high in bottled water compared with treated tap water.
• Nanoplastics accounted for over 50% of the detected particles in both tap and bottled water samples.

The team said the jump came from better tools, not a sudden change in the water.

“It is like the difference between looking at the stars with and without a telescope,” lead author Megan Jamison Hart, an environmental science researcher at The Ohio State University, and her adviser, John Lenhart, an environmental engineering professor at the same institution, told Mongabay by email.

“Like the stars, plastics are there either way, but the analytical technique we used let us see a lot more than what previous studies have been able to quantify, similar to seeing more stars with a telescope,” they added.

What are nanoplastics and how small are they?

Nanoplastics are plastic particles smaller than a micron, or one-thousandth of a millimeter.

In this study, researchers focused on particles down to a few hundred nanometers:

• They measured particles smaller than 500 nanometers (0.0005 millimeters), described as roughly the size of a large virus.
• They also counted particles smaller than 300 nanometers and assessed their size, shape, and number.

How did researchers detect more plastic than earlier studies?

The team used a more advanced workflow to identify and count extremely small particles.

• They used optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy to determine the chemical composition of particles smaller than 500 nanometers.
• They paired that with scanning electron microscopy, which uses a focused beam of electrons to image samples in very high detail.
• With that pairing, they could determine the size, shape, and number of particles smaller than 300 nanometers.

“The results suggest that previous studies have underestimated the [micro and nanoplastic] particle concentrations in both treated tap and bottled water,” Jamison added. Nanoplastics “accounted for over 50% of the detected particles in both sample types.”

Why does it matter that bottled water tested higher than tap?

The study reports a consistent pattern: bottled water showed higher nanoplastic levels than treated tap water.

That matters because many people buy bottled water expecting it to be cleaner or safer. If bottled water contains more nanoplastics, it can change how households, schools, and workplaces think about daily drinking-water choices.

What is known about health effects of nanoplastics in water?

The excerpt describes major gaps in what science can say with certainty.

• It says little is known about the health impacts of tiny plastic particles in drinking water.
• It notes the problem is hard to study because the particles are ubiquitous in ecosystems and in human bodies.
• It reports plastic particles have been detected in brain tissue, bone marrow, lungs, placentas, breast milk, liver, testes, and blood.
• It also says some studies have associated plastic presence with colon and lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and hormone interference.

“While we don’t really fully understand the human health risks associated with nanoplastic exposure, it’s still better to try and mitigate that risk because evidence indicates that they do cause problems, even if we’re not fully aware of what those are yet,” Hart said in a statement.

How water filtration and conditioning relate to nanoplastics in drinking water

Nanoplastics in drinking water are small enough that not all treatment approaches handle them the same way. Reverse osmosis (RO) filtration systems are often used for drinking water because they can reduce many very small contaminants by pushing water through a tight membrane. Whole-home water conditioners treat water for the entire house and can improve water feel and help protect plumbing, which matters when families want consistent water quality at every tap. Together, they can support a practical strategy: cleaner drinking water at the kitchen sink and better water performance throughout the home.

Source: Mongabay