Urgent need to establish safety standards for plastic bottles… Detected in 93% of domestically distributed bottled water products
Plastic bottles: When exposed to sunlight or high temperatures… Increased likelihood of accumulation of harmful chemicals
Microplastics cannot be removed naturally… Efforts should be made to reduce human exposure
Recently, there was a huge stir when it became known that microplastics were detected in 93% of bottled water products distributed in Korea. As a result of the National Institute of Environmental Research’s investigation of 30 bottled water products sold on the market, microplastics were detected in 28 products. Microplastics generally refer to plastics with a diameter of 1 to 5 nm (nanometer, 1 nm is 1 billionth of a meter). The effects on the human body have not been accurately identified, and acceptable standards for microplastic content have not yet been established in Korea.
Scientists have raised concerns about the safety of bottled water sold in plastic bottles. There is still a lack of research on the long-term effects on the human body of microplastics that enter bottled water during distribution. Some experts advised that a policy to avoid the use of disposable plastic bottles is needed, saying that recent studies have shown that various substances detected in bottled water in plastic bottles can have fatal effects on health.
● “We need to reconsider the use of bottled water for the health of people and the planet.”
According to academic circles on the 30th, Professor Amit Abraham Qatar’s research team at Weill Cornell Medical College stated in a commentary published in the latest issue of the international academic journal ‘British Medical Journal (BMJ) World Health’ that “the use of bottled water must be reconsidered for the health of humans and the planet.” raised a claim.
According to the research team, approximately 1 million bottles of bottled water are currently consumed every minute around the world. It is known that 2 billion people in countries where safe drinking water is difficult to access rely on bottled water. Consumption is increasing, especially among people who do not believe in the safety of tap water.
This study raised questions about the common belief that bottled water distributed in plastic bottles is safe. In the case of tap water, it is subject to strict quality and safety management under the supervision of relevant organizations, but bottled water in plastic bottles is not subject to such management supervision. Additionally, it is pointed out that if plastic bottles are stored for long periods of time or exposed to sunlight and high temperatures, there is a high possibility that harmful chemicals will accumulate. The research team claimed, “People who have difficulty obtaining safe drinking water often seek out bottled water due to the belief stemming from corporate marketing that bottled water in plastic bottles is safer and better for health.”
They emphasized that substances that could have adverse effects on health were actually found in bottled water contained in plastic bottles. The research team said, “According to existing research, up to 78% of bottled water distributed on the market contains various contaminants such as microplastics, phthalates, and bisphenol A (BPA), which are substances that disrupt hormones.” Phthalates are compounds primarily used to soften or make plastics more flexible. Bisphenol A is a compound used to make plastic products commonly used in everyday life.
The research team says that these compounds can have fatal effects on the human body in the long term. Microplastics cause stress and disrupt immune system regulation. It also affects the rise in blood fat levels. Bisphenol A is suspected to be the cause of diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.
A bigger problem is that the long-term effects of the compounds on the human body are unknown. The research team said, “Studies have been conducted on the short-term effects on the human body, but most of the long-term effects are unknown,” and explained that, in particular, in the case of microplastics, the human body can be continuously exposed through the food ingredients that people consume.
● Microplastics enter the brain
Although it has not been precisely determined what effect long-term exposure to microplastics has on the human body, there has recently been heated discussion in academia that microplastics may reach deeper into the human body than previously known. An international joint research team led by the University of Plymouth, UK, introduced research results showing that a greater amount of microplastics remain deep in the human body than previously known through a review paper published in the international academic journal ‘Science’ on the 20th.
According to research conducted so far, microplastics have been found in the human brain and placenta, and have been shown to remain intact even in extreme environments such as Antarctica and the deep sea. The research team concluded that since it is impossible to completely remove microplastics naturally, artificial efforts to reduce exposure are the best measure.
Donga Science Reporter Park Jeong-yeon [email protected]
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2024-10-01 08:14:25