Researchers tested 250 bottles of water in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Thailand, and the United States.
"Widespread contamination" with plastic was found in the study, led by microplastic researcher Sherri Mason of the State University of New York at Fredonia, according to a summary released by Orb Media, a US-based non-profit media collective.
Researchers tested 250 bottles of water in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Thailand, and the United States.
"I think it is coming through the process of bottling the water.
On average, plastic particles in the 100 micron (0.10 millimeter) size range — considered "microplastics," — were found at an average rate of 10.4 plastic particles per liter.
Even smaller particles were more common — averaging about 325 per liter.
Other brands that were found to contain plastic contaminated included Bisleri, Epura, Gerolsteiner, Minalba and Wahaha.
"We know that they are connected to these synthetic chemicals in the environment and we know that plastics are providing kind of a means to get those chemicals into our bodies."
– Previous research by Orb Media has found plastic particles in tap water, too, but on a smaller scale.
"It’s more urgent now than ever before to make plastic water bottles a thing of the past."