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Exposure to micro(nano)plastics polymers in water stored in single-use plastic bottles.
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Researchers quantified micro(nano)plastics ranging from 700 nm to 20 µm in bottled water from 20 popular Spanish brands, assessing daily consumer exposure risk and raising concern about the widespread presence of plastic polymer particles in single-use bottled water.
Human exposure to micro (nano)plastics (MNPLs) has become a significant concern as a potential health threat. Exposure routes include ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, being food and drinking water the primary sources of oral exposure. Here we present the quantification of polymers of MNPLs particles from 700 nm to 20 μm in bottled water commercialised in Spain, including an estimation of the potential risk for daily consumers. We evaluated samples from 20 popular brands in 0.5 and 1.5 L plastic bottles. A double-suspect screening approach developed and validated in our research group for drinking water was adapted for bottled water samples. The identification and quantification of MNPLs-polymers in mass units and the tentative identification of plastic additives (PA) until the second level of confidence was carried out based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS). The results showed the presence of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene terephthalate (PET) in the samples. Among them, PE was the most frequently detected and quantified polymer (55% of samples) followed by PET which was detected in 33% of the samples and showing the highest concentration (4700 ng L). The median value of the sum of polymer concentrations was 359 ng L. In addition, 28 plastic additives were detected, where at least one of them was present in 100% of the samples. Stabilizers and plasticisers were the most frequently identified. A prioritisation study was performed using a multi-QSAR modelling software, where bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were estimated as the most potentially harmful compounds for human health. Overall, findings suggest that bottled water is a non-negligible route to exposure to MNPLs.
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Characteristics of nano-plastics in bottled drinking water.
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Microplastics in Spanish bottled water
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Researchers analyzed 22 bottled water samples sold in Spain -- packaged in plastic, glass, and cans -- by filtering entire bottle volumes and characterizing particles via micro-FTIR, finding microplastic concentrations of 0-27 particles/L (median 6.67 particles/L) with cellulosic fibers, polyamide, and PET as the dominant polymer types.
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