Consistent consumption of water from plastic containers raises the amount of microplastic in the body. As The Independent reports, recent findings indicate that bottled water enthusiasts yearly ingest tens of thousands more plastic microparticles than those favoring tap water.
Researchers from Concordia University (Canada) explain that the plastic packaging expels particles throughout all phases of its existence—from manufacturing to storage. Material degradation accelerates under the influence of sunlight and temperature fluctuations.
On average, a person swallows between 39 and 52 thousand microplastic particles annually, ranging in size from a thousandth of a millimeter up to five millimeters. Drinking bottled water might boost this figure by roughly 90 thousand particles per year. Microplastic can enter the bloodstream, accumulate in organs, and correlate with inflammatory conditions, hormonal imbalances, reproductive system issues, and the threat of cancerous diseases.
Lead author of the review, Sarah Sajedi, emphasized that drinking from bottles is only permissible in an emergency. Scientists note the need for further investigation to evaluate long-term effects, as microplastic has already been detected even in the human placenta.
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