According to a new report from NGO Agir pour l’Environment (Acting for the Environment) an alarming 78 percent of bottled waters analysed in France are contaminated with microplastics.
Environmentalists have long raised a red flag over microplastics, but now, concerns over the potential negative impact of the small fragments of plastic (less that 5mm in length) to human health is pushing plastic pollution up the agenda.
In France, Agir pour l’Environment believes there is cause for alarm as they have identified microplastic contamination in almost 80 percent of the best-selling bottled water brands in the country.
According to laboratory studies, there is potential for microplastic contamination to lead to harmful effects within organisms, as well as widespread and potentially irreversible effects in the natural environment.
One way that humans may be ingesting microplastics is via plastic bottled water.
Back in 2018, scientists at the State University of New York conducted analyses of plastic bottled water to test for microplastic contamination. According to their findings, roughly twice as many plastic particles were identified within bottled water compared to tap water.
Agir pour l’Environment is not convinced that current bottled water regulation is up to scratch.
The greatest number of microplastics identified in the study was present in Nestle’s Vittel Kids product, it explained, with 40 particles found in the 330ml bottle – equating to 121 particle per litre.
