TAP WATER BETTER? –
Sept. 30, 2025 – The Journal of Hazardous Materials, looks at the science around the health risks posed by single-use plastic water bottles. They are serious, she says, and seriously understudied. “Drinking water from plastic bottles is fine in an emergency but it is not something that should be used in daily life.”
In her analysis of more than 140 scientific papers, Sajedi reports that people ingest an estimated 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles each year. For those who rely on bottled water, that number climbs even higher—about 90,000 additional particles compared to individuals who primarily drink tap water.
These particles are invisible to the eye. Microplastics range in size from one micron (a thousandth of a millimeter) to five millimeters, while nanoplastics are smaller than a single micron.
They are released as plastic bottles are manufactured, stored, transported, and gradually degrade. Because many bottles are made from low-grade plastic, they shed particles whenever they are handled or exposed to sunlight and changes in temperature. Unlike plastics that move through the food chain before entering the human body, these are consumed directly from the container itself.
