Photo source: Justin Sullivan Getty Images embed Plastic particles consumed by humans can travel through the gut without a trace; human body ‘very well-adapted in dealing with those non-digestible micro-particles’ WASHINGTON, D.C. (CN) – A new study led by a nonprofit journalism group found that more than 90 percent of several top brands of bottled water were contaminated with tiny pieces of plastic.
“A single bottle can hold dozens or possibly even thousands of microscopic plastic particles.
Tests on more than 250 bottles from 11 brands reveal contamination with plastic including polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate,” according to a release about the research by Washington, D.C.-based Orb Media.
The dyed water was then filtered through glass fiber.
“Some of the bottles we tested contained so many particles that we asked a former astrophysicist to use his experience counting stars in the heavens to help us tally these fluorescing constellations.
A few effectively had no plastic at all,” according to the study.
Research revealed a global average of 10.4 plastic particles per liter for particles in the 0.10 millimeter size range.
According to the study, Nestle conducted its own testing of six bottles from three locations following an inquiry from Orb Media and its head of quality Frederic de Bruyne said the results “showed between zero and five plastic particles per liter.” He also argued Professor Mason’s testing failed to include a step to remove biological substances, therefore “some of the fluorescing particles could be false positives – natural material that the Nile Red had also stained.” None of the other companies agreed to publicize their plastic contamination test results, according to Orb Media.
Others might get lodged into the intestinal wall or make their way through the body another way.
“Based on what we know so far about the toxicity of microplastics — and our knowledge is very limited on that — I would say that there is little health concern, as far as we know,” Martin Wagner, a toxicologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said in a statement.

KOCHI:The Kerala Bottled Water Manufacturers’ Association (KBWA) has decided to sell bottled water for Rs 12 per litre across the state.
The KBWA made an announcement in this regard at a press meet here on Thursday.The KBWA is the only association of bottled water manufacturers in the state.
It was following Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac’s request the association decided to bring down the price of the bottled water.
“The current price reduction was considered following the implementation of GST.
The Finance Minister has been requesting us for a long time to cut down the price of water.
Around 100 local bottled water manufacturers in the state will sell water for Rs 12 per one litre bottle.
Of these, around 40 companies are international and national-level brands.
A government-backed company is also producing bottled water.
Around 100 companies which are part of our association will sell bottles for Rs 12 from April 2.
The government bottled water is being sold for Rs 10 per litre at selected outlets though the MRP printed on it is Rs 15 per litre.

CHENNAI: India’s bottled water sector outpaced growth of any of the other major global markets between 2016 and 2017, recording impressive 19% growth, says a report from Mintel Research.
Among the top five fastest growing bottled water markets are Indonesia (13.2%), Vietnam (11%), the Philippines (10.6%) and South Korea (9.9%).
“Recognising that India’s population is among the largest in the world, it remains a sleeping giant in the global market.
However, India’s bottled water retail sales have climbed significantly in the last year.
This growth is being driven by rising incomes, consumer concerns over hygiene, and convenience needs, particularly when out of home.
India has a fragmented and comparatively unregulated bottled water market, but big, global companies appear to be keen to expand their presence in the country,” said Alex Beckett, associate director, food and drink, at Mintel.
Further, the research agency’s global new products database (GNPD) revealed that there was an increase in the number and share of flavoured water launches bearing a low/no/reduced (L/N/R) sugar claim in 2017.
Of all the flavoured waters launched globally in 2017, those bearing a L/N/R sugar claim accounted for 32% of launches, up from 23% in 2016.
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A study examining 11 brands of bottled water sold around the world has found that nearly every sample tested was contaminated by plastic particles.
According to the study of 259 water bottles purchased in nine different countries, a staggering 93 percent of the samples contained microplastics.
Researchers at the Statue University of New York (SUNY) found an average of 10 microplastic particles per liter of water.
SUNY researchers concluded that at least part of the contamination came from packaging and bottling process.
Why can’t we have just clean, pure water?” Peggy Apter of Indiana said to Orb Media, the non-profit journalism group that organized the bottled water study.
While the study found about 10 plastic particles which were the width of a hair in water samples, researchers also detected over 300 smaller particles of plastic in each tested bottle.
“We found [plastic] in bottle after bottle and brand after brand,” Prof. Sherri Mason told the BBC.
“It’s not about pointing fingers at particular brands; it’s really showing that this is everywhere, that plastic has become such a pervasive material in our society, and it’s pervading water.” The study focused on bottles produced by Aquafina, Dasani, Evian, Nestle Pure Life, and San Pellegrino.
“It’s not catastrophic, the numbers that we’re seeing, but it is concerning,” Prof. Mason added.
The health risks from consuming plastic particles are not fully known however, several countries and environmental scientists have already called for a ban on microplastics such as glitter.

Environmental adviser, speaker and author, Dr Anthony Turton, was asked five questions about the bottled water industry and the drought in the Western Cape, and then got South African National Bottled Water Association chairperson, John Weaver, to add context from the industry’s point of view … 1.
Do you believe the bottled water industry is negatively impacting on water available for reticulation?
All SANBWA members in the Western Cape bottle from ground water sources.
· Bottling companies or individuals starting up in response to the drought often do not adhere to South Africa’s legislation governing the bottled water industry.
What is the bottled water industry’s role during the drought?
Do you believe bottled water bottlers should be forced by Government to bottle water for distribution or that Government should annex/ attach bottled water companies?
In addition to the licensing fee, there is the considerable cost of ensuring sustainability of the source as well as the bottling, packaging and distribution.
The fact is that bottlers’ licences strictly regulate the volume they may extract for bottling.
They need to demand the de-politicisation of water.” John Weaver: “I like Dr Turton’s answer but there also have to be behavioural changes.
Dr Turton: “Droughts come and go.

BEAN STATION, Tenn. (WATE) – Families near a slaughterhouse in Bean Station are using bottled water after their well water was contaminated by coliform and E.coli.
Dean Taylor is one of the people in Bean Station who received bottled water from the state on March 2.
It says there had been a failure of the septic system at Southeastern Provision, a slaughterhouse, not far from Taylor’s home.
"Said that there been a catastrophic water contamination from the slaughterhouse up the road here," said Taylor.
As a result, water resource inspectors checked the septic system at Southeastern Provision.
The contaminated water had flowed downhill to Taylor’s home and others.
The state’s order to Southeastern Provision was swift: shut down its underground wastewater system.
"At this time they have shut off all flow to their subsurface system and are hauling all their waste offsite to a treatment facility," said Atchley.
Hipsher shut down his well.
The state has suggested to Dean Taylor since his well water is contaminated he should consider hooking up to city water.

PLANO — Officials with the North Texas Municipal Water District assured the Plano City Council on Tuesday night that the city’s water supply is safe.
On Wednesday, the water district released additional test results solidifying that claim.
The tests conducted during the current temporary chlorine maintenance shows drinking water is safe, according to a news release from the water district.
The results by an independent testing firm reveal that levels of disinfection by-products are within regulatory standards, the release states.
Mayor Henry LaRosiliere offered additional assurances to residents, saying that if there is a problem with the city’s water, "we’ll fix it."
"I drink the same water everyone else does," he said.
Nearly half of the U.S. population is served by public water suppliers using temporary chlorine maintenance such as the one in North Texas, according to the district.
‘Feels a little scary’ But many residents dressed in blue packed Tuesday’s council meeting, complaining that their water smells like an "over-chlorinated swimming pool."
Cox said she’s resorted to buying bottled water, holding up a partially consumed bottle of water before Tuesday’s meeting.
He said the city plans to test the water through an independent agency before the chlorine burn ends Monday.

Law enforcement officials alerted the public to check the tops of commercially sold bottles of water for tampering because someone is injecting poison into them.
In March 2018, we began receiving inquiries from readers about an alert spreading on social media saying that several people had died after drinking bottled water purposely injected with poison.
The minute amount of information provided was vague and unsourced.
A few people have already died in the Richmond area.. the Sheriff just made the announcement.
The Richmond, California Police Department told us they were unaware of any such incidents; the Richmond, Virginia Sheriff’s Office has yet to get back to us.
In any case, we found no press reports of water bottle tampering or poisoning in either location, much less people dying as a result of such activities.
Its timing suggests that the rumor may have started as a riff on a 3 March 2018 Facebook post purporting to offer photographic proof that the caps of nearly all of the bottles of water in a shrink-wrapped package purchased at in Bennington, Vermont had been pierced with a pin, needle, or similar sharp object: A video attached to the above post has since reappeared in messages by other users claiming that the water was purchased elsewhere in the United States (South Carolina, for example).
Possible explanations for the punctured caps include a manufacturing mistake of some kind, tampering prior to the bottles being packaged, or tampering by the purchaser after the package was opened.
She also says the incident was reported to the Walmart store where the water was purchased.
Naturally, if someone is injecting poison into water bottles, someone else must have drunk it and died.

Without access to a town water supply, locals in the Bilambil Valley rely on water from the creek.
Mr O’Brien is concerned water extraction is affecting that supply.
"Lately, in the last few years, it’s stopping more and more constantly throughout the year."
Mr Karlos rejects that link.
"The water we’re taking out has no bearing on localised water, groundwater or creek water, which is what the farmers are using," he said.
"It’s not just the extraction of water, but concerns that this has become a lawless industry, an industry which pays no attention to their conditions of approval," TWA member Jeremy Tager said.
By limiting the number, size and hours of operation of water tankers, the Greens-led council has effectively halved the amount of water the Karlos operation is allowed to sell.
Larry Karlos is taking the council to the Land and Environment Court this week after it rejected his bid to run bigger tankers, which would allow him to sell his full 60-megalitre allocation.
‘Water quality one of the biggest issues in the world today’ Mr Tager said it was the Karlos operation which had a case to answer for what he alleged were breaches of its council approval.
He showed 7.30 photographs which allegedly showed tanker movements around the water filling station on the Karlos property on February 19 and 20.

Tiny plastic particles were found in bottle water tested by the US non-governmental organisation Orb Media, the Sme daily wrote on March 20.
They were found in 259 bottles from 11 brands bought in 19 locations and tested in nine countries, regardless of the brand, even in Evian spring water (producer: Danone) from France, or Italy’s San Pellegrino (producer: Nestlé), which can be found on Slovak market.
Other tested brands include Aqua (Danone), Aquafina (PepsiCo), Bisleri (Bisleri International), Dasani (Coca-Cola), Epura (PepsiCo), Gerolsteiner (Gerolsteiner Brunnen), Minalba (Grupo Edson Queiroz), Nestlé Pure Life (Nestlé) and Wahaha (Hangzhou Wahaha Group).
In previous water quality tests, the NGO found tmicro-plastics in 83 percent of the 159 samples of water tested, from all over the world, including Slovakia.
Do they cause harm?
The harmfulness of micro-plastics has not been proven by any evidence, the BBC website wrote.
Apart from scrutinising its possible effects on the human body, there is one more question, according to Sme: where do the micro-plastics in bottled water come from.
“We are also interested in cooperating on the further improvement of the testing methodology.” Drinking water sources and oceans, too In September 2017, Orb Media published the results of a research that found that plastic micro-particles are present in potable water sources, including Slovakia.
More and more studies suggest that micro-plastics can be found in oceans, fresh water, air and soil.
The presence of micro-plastics in drinking water means that they are probably getting into other products in which the water is used, Sme summed up.