The problem of 'microplastics' in drinking water is unfamiliar to the general public, but it has caused concern among experts. According to a report from the BBC on the 15th, the World Health Organization (WHO) is about to open a health assessment of 'microplastics' in drinking water. Earlier, there were studies on the testing of 250 bottles of bottled water from 11 brands in 9 countries. It was found that only 17 bottles contained no plastic particles. According to experts, the results indicated that the problem of 'microplastics' in drinking water has been To the point where concern is needed.
To find out if it is harmful to health
The BBC said on the 15th that the World Health Organization (WHO) will evaluate the health risks of plastics in drinking water.
Earlier, a research report led by non-profit organization OrbMedia pointed out that most of the detected bottled water found plastic particles.
Bruce Gordon, coordinator of WHO's global work on water and sanitation, said that the most important question now is to understand if drinking water containing plastic particles for a long time will have an impact on human health.
'We usually define a safety standard, but to make such a restriction, we first need to know if these things are dangerous.' Gordon said, whether the plastic particles in drinking water contain harmful or toxic components, but also what will happen to the body Influence, these are not studied at present.
'If people know the existence of micro-plastics in drinking water, they would like to know what the WHO said. 'Gao Deng said that this is also the reason why WHO hopes to make an assessment on this issue. 'People are concerned about, of course, long-term or short-term drinking. Plastic water has a bad influence on their body. '
Micro plastics are common in bottled water
Earlier, OrbMedia led a study to test 250 bottles of bottled water from 11 brands in nine countries. This is the largest scale test in this type of research.
The testing was conducted at the State University of New York, USA. It was found that micro-plastic problems were common in bottled water. In the tested 250 bottles of water, only 17 bottles of water did not find plastic particles.
The test results showed that the average water per liter contains 10 plastic granules, and the size of these granules is coarser than hair. The smaller granules are 314 liter per liter of water. However, these granules can only be basically judged as plastic cannot be completely determined.
Considering that the issue of microplastics in drinking water is not known to many people, the result is undoubtedly astonishing. 'We don't want to say which brand has problems because the results show that microplastics are almost everywhere. Plastics are in our society. It is everywhere, and it has even invaded potable water. Professor Mason, one of the testing staff said.
Some particles cannot be discharged from the human body
Prof Mason said that the most urgent task now is to study the impact of these micro-plastics on the human body.
'Some plastic granules are large enough that they may be excreted, but they may also release chemicals that cause damage to the human body. Some plastic granules are so small that they cannot be discharged, and they can pass through inside the body. We do not know that this will affect us. What effects do the organs and tissues have?” said Professor Mason.
Existing experts have pointed out with concern that because plastics are difficult to degrade, if these plastic particles remain in the human body, the consequences of long years of accumulation will be alarmed.
However, bottled water companies seem to have no concerns about this issue. When the BBC contacted the tested branded bottled water production companies, these companies insisted that their products meet quality requirements, are safe, and some have proposed that there is no micro Plastic content related regulations.
Not only in bottled water
It is worth noting that microplastics are not only found in bottled water. Different researchers have found plastic particles in tap water, seafood, beer, and sea salt.
Last year, OrbMedia led a research study on tap water samples from more than a dozen countries. The results showed that 83% of tap water was contaminated with plastic microparticles, of which the United States had the most serious problem of plastic particulate pollution, and the proportion of tap water contaminated was as high as 94%. Including the United States Capitol, the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters and other locations have been contaminated.
The problem of microplastics contamination is mainly due to the widespread use of plastics and people’s dependence on plastics. Plastics are used, weathered, sunlight, etc., can be crushed to form microplastics, microplastics into the ocean, sewers, air, which in turn invade into human drinking water and food.
At present, more than 300 million tons of plastics are produced every year worldwide, of which only 20% of waste plastics are recycled or incinerated, most of them are landfilled or thrown into the sea, causing ubiquitous plastic waste pollution. Of course, plastic pollution issues It has attracted worldwide attention. For example, the EU plans to recycle all plastic packaging by 2030 and no longer use disposable plastic coffee cups to combat pollution.