A toxic habit you live with every day

DID YOU KNOW DRINKING BOTTLED WATER DAILY EXPOSES YOU TO UP TO 90,000 MICROPLASTICS A YEAR?

- BY ZAINAB HUSAIN Features Writer

According to the research, microplastics are released at several stages of a bottle's life cycle - during manufacturing, storage, transportation and breakdown over time

People who drink bottled water every day may be ingesting an extra 90,000 microplastic particles annually, according to a new review of scientific research by researchers from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

The review analysed more than 140 scientific studies and found that, on average, individuals ingest between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles per year. Those who rely on bottled water consume around 90,000 more particles annually compared with people who drink tap water.

Invisible to the naked eye

Most of these particles are invisible to the naked eye. A microplastic particle ranges from one micron (one-thousandth of a millimetre) to five millimetres, while nanoplastics are even smaller, measuring less than one micron.

According to the research, microplastics are released at several stages of a bottle's life cycle during manufacturing, storage, transportation and breakdown over time.