Nanoplastics make up around 90% of the plastic particles found in bottled water

Bottled water

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Seven different types of plastic detected in three bottled water brands

Bottled water has been found to contain hundreds of thousands of tiny plastic particles, the vast majority of which are nanoplastics (<1μm in length), new research has found.

Nanoplastics are thought to be more toxic to humans because their small size means they can pass more easily from the gut into the body than microplastics (1μm to 5mm in length). However, there is a gap in understanding the effects of these tiny particles on organisms due to the challenges associated with detecting them.