We have known for years that we are drinking, eating, and breathing in plastic. But a study published by Qian and her colleagues last month could change our understanding of just how much of it we are drinking. Qian’s team found that bottled water contains as much as 100 times more plastic than previously estimated. By looking at nanoplastics — particles less than one micrometer — they found that a bottle of water may contain as many as 240,000 particles per liter.
Scientists who study microplastics in the body are still trying to determine their full effect on human health and the threshold at which they may be dangerous. But we already have an understanding of how the chemicals used to treat plastic can affect us. Mason says that there are between 10,000 and 12,000 chemicals used in the manufacturing of plastics — including flame retardants, UV stabilizers, colorants, and antibacterials. Daily-use plastics are known to be treated with chemicals that disrupt the body’s endocrine system that regulates hormones, and those chemicals that can potentially glom onto microplastics that are leaching into the environment. Mason points to research showing increased risk of cancer from microplastic exposure, as well as obesity rates, autism, and ADHD.