However, a new study from nonprofit journalism organization Orb Media and State University of New York at Fredonia researchers found that drinking from a plastic water bottle likely means sipping microplastic particles with just about every mouthful.
Tests, which confirmed the presence of plastic using an industry-standard infrared microscope, revealed plastic contaminants including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon and polypropylene.
Bluewater recently released its own survey, which showed that 56 percent of Americans worry that their drinking water contains harmful contaminants including plastic, carcinogens and lead.
The survey also found that nearly 70 percent of Americans rely on bottled water in some capacity, with nearly 33 percent of them gulping down more than five bottles of water per week.
Last year, Orb Media released a study which found that virtually all of the world’s tap water is contaminated by microplastic fibers.
However, Orb Media’s latest findings in plastic water bottles may have many people wondering – is any fresh water safe to drink?
Microplastic and your health: Why you should worry According to Orb, these findings suggest that anyone who downs a liter of bottled water daily could potentially be consuming tens of thousands of microplastics annually.
Orb Media’s latest study has prompted the WHO to review the potential risks of drinking plastic-contaminated water, the Guardian reported.
“[Based on Orb Media’s recent studies], the absolute majority of all water that we as consumers drink contains microplastics and also other contaminants,” Jacobson said.
“We have to find ways to consume water in a sustainable way that takes both human and planetary health into consideration,” he said.