Microplastics In Clouds May Affect Weather

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The average liter bottle of water has thousands of tiny nanoplastics, and for the first time, researchers have figured out exactly what kind and how much.

According to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found particles less than a micron in size ranging from 110,000 to 400,000 per liter, with an average of 240,000 per bottle. In fact, nanoplastics made up 90% of the plastics detected across three different brands of bottled water – microplastics were only 10%. The researchers did not reveal which brands of water they studied.

A micron is impossibly tiny, only a millionth of a meter. The diameter of a raindrop, for example, is about 2,000 microns. The nanoplastics researchers found were smaller than the microplastics that are already known to exist in so much of our world, like in clouds that could affect the weather, and even in the human heart.

Lead study author Naixin Qian, a physical chemist at Columbia University, told the Associated Press that much of the plastic in the water seems to be coming from the bottle itself and the reverse osmosis membrane filter used to keep out other contaminants.

(​MORE: Surprising Source For Majority Of Ocean Microplastics)

As far as safety concerns, it's still inconclusive, but the potential for danger is large. Wei Min, a chemistry professor at Columbia University and one of the study’s authors, told NPR that nanoplastics are so small that they can “be misidentified as the natural component of the cell.”

Min and more of the study’s co-authors said they have cut down on their water bottle use or stopped it completely, according to the Associated Press.

But even cutting down on plastic bottle use and switching to filtered water is not a guarantee that micro and nanoplastics aren’t getting into the water. Any plastic water filter can let nanoplastics in – and we know that most tap water contains micro and nano particles as well.

The International Bottled Water Association released a statement saying they “had very limited notice and time to review this new study closely and therefore, we cannot provide a detailed response at this time.” The statement also noted that water bottles are just one of thousands of plastic food and beverage containers used around the world.

So, the bottom line: it’s not a surprise that nanoplastic particles are present in bottled water. Experts recommend using a reusable water bottle instead.

Senior producer Niki Budnick writes about breaking weather news, pets, lifestyle, health & wellness and more for weather.com.

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