According to the study done by Orb Media and State University of New York at Fredonia, 93 percent of the 250 bottles tested were contaminated with microplastics.
However, some bottles had concentrations as high as 10,000 plastic pieces for every liter of water.
The brands tested were Aqua, Aquafina, Bisleri, Dasani, Epura, Evian, Gerolsteiner, Minalba, Nestle´ Pure Life, San Pellegrino and Wahaha.
They sourced the bottles from 11 different countries.
However, according to Fox 28, the study has not been published in a journal and it has not been through scientific peer review.
International Bottled Water Association President and CEO Joe Doss criticized the findings, saying that the “non-peer reviewed study” aims to “do nothing more than unnecessarily scare consumers,” USA Today reported.
But SUNY Fredonia chemistry professor Sherri Mason, one of the study’s researchers, said it’s a concerning development that deserves closer scrutiny.
“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 – all of these products that we consume at a very basic level,” Mason told BBC.
In response to the study, the World Health Organization confirmed to BBC that it will be launching a new investigation to review the potential risks of plastic in drinking water.
An unrelated study conducted by the campaign group Story of Stuff tested 19 major water brands in the U.S. and found that microfibers were widespread as well.