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scientists tested 259 bottles of 11 famous brands of bottled water and found almost all bottled water. It contains plastic particles.
bottled water has a huge market. Picture / visual China
drink bottled water and swallow plastic particles
as people pursue more "pure" life, carbonated drinks are increasingly unpopular, and the sales of bottled water are growing. Bottled Water Association's latest figures show that bottled water has exceeded carbonated drinks in 2017 and has become the most expensive packaged beverage category.
now, as the weather gets hotter, the peak season for bottled water sales is coming. At this point, a scientific study gave the bottled water industry a basin of "cold water": in mid March, Orb Media, a nonprofit news agency in Washington, and the New York State University of California, tested 259 bottles of water from 11 famous brands and found almost all the bottled water. They all contain plastic particles.
you think you are drinking "pure water" and actually swallow a lot of plastic particles. The results of the study have caused a great stir in the international media, and have also raised concerns about whether bottled water is as clean and healthy as it looks.
259 bottle water storm
"if you want to know what water I drink, I drink city tap water." I use a stainless steel cup and cup. " Sherri Mason, a professor at the New York State University of New York, who was in charge of the study, stressed his attitude towards bottled water in an email reply.
Mason studied the plastic particles for a long time. She and other experimenters bought 259 bottles of bottled water in 19 locations in 9 countries. The results showed that 93% of the bottled water contained plastic particles. Every liter of water, the number of particles larger than 100 microns (about the thickness of hair) is 10.4, and the smaller, possibly plastic, 314 particles per liter. The polymer polypropylene, which is often used to make the cap of the bottle, accounts for 54% of the larger particles, followed by nylon, and 6% of the polybutylene terephthalate is made from the bottle.
experimenters believe that the above data show that the plastic particles in bottled water come from at least part of the industrial process of plastic bottles themselves, and plastic may be stripped from the lid of a bottle, or when people turn the cap out of the bottle, the plastic falls into the water.
this is not the first collaboration between Prof. Mason and Orb Media. In September last year, Orb Media and Mason team conducted related tests on tap water. Studies have shown that plastic particles are also detected in tap water, but only 5.45 particles per liter are half of the bottled water. The plastic particles in tap water are mainly fibers, indicating that the sources of particulates in tap water and bottled water are different. The results of the
report are quickly reported by the world's leading media, which is so concerned that it may be related to the selection of bottled water brands. The 11 brands of bottled water tested have a strong reputation, and there are many consumers in the world. It includes 5 leading global brands - Aquafina, Evian, Nestle pure life (Nestle Pure Life), Dasani (Dasani), and San Pellegrino (San Pellegrino). 6 national brands include Aqua in Indonesia, Bisleri in India, Epura in Mexico, Gerolsteiner in Germany, Minalba in Brazil, and Wahaha in China.
although the results are surprising, the most important question is whether plastic particles are harmful to human health. However, due to the lack of research in this field, no one has been able to give a definitive answer. The WHO (WHO) said in an interview with the Broadcasting British Corporation (BBC) that they would assess the potential health hazards of plastic particles in bottled drinking water.
but this test report raises some doubts about the brand of bottled water that has been named. Nestle Co., at the request of Orb Media, retested 6 bottles of water in 3 places of origin, the head of the quality inspection department said that the test results showed 0~5 plastic particles per liter. The company spokesman said Mason's experiment did not avoid the key steps of false positives, and they were inviting Orb to compare the experimental methods.
according to Danone behind Yun Shui, the test method is not clear and is reluctant to comment on it. The company added that its Evian plastic bottle belongs to food grade packaging.