Warning: Plastic is entering the body through tap water

Plastic is present in about 80% of tap water sources worldwide, which means it can easily enter our internal organs.

The United States had the highest rate of pollution, with 93% of its water sources containing plastic, followed by India and Lebanon. France, Germany and the UK had the lowest rates, at around 72%. On average, 83% of water samples from countries around the world contained plastic.

Currently, water filtration systems cannot remove plastic from water sources.

Scientists warn that microplastic particles are so small they can penetrate internal organs.

Currently, Ministers in European countries are making efforts to plan the collection and return of used plastic bottles to reduce waste and environmental pollution.

How is the research conducted?

The research was conducted by scientists at the University of Minnesota and published in The Guardian.

Scientists tested 159 water samples from around the world, including countries such as Uganda, Ecuador and Indonesia.

Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5mm in size.

What are the health risks?

“We don’t know what the health impacts are and so we need to take the precautionary principle and immediately do research that shows the real health risks of ingesting these microplastics,” said Dr. Anne Marie Mahon, of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, who conducted the previous study that found microplastics in tap water in Ireland.

Ms. Anne also said that because these microplastic particles are so small, they can completely penetrate cells and internal organs.

Previous research has also shown that microplastics have the ability to absorb toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases and excrete these substances in the small intestine of animals.

Humans can also inhale these microplastic particles from the air.

“If we inhale them, they can stay in the lungs and even enter the circulatory system,” said Frank Kelly, an environmental health expert at King's College London.

Sherri Mason, a microplastics expert at the State University of New York at Fredonia who oversaw the analysis, said studies in wildlife have raised concerns about the impact of these microplastics. “If it affects wildlife, why can’t it affect us?” Sherri said.

How is water polluted with plastic?

Although it is not yet clear, scientists believe that microplastic particles come from clothes, upholstery, and carpets during machine washing and drying.

Dryers are also a source of microplastics, especially if they have vents.

Previous research has shown that 700,000 plastic fibres can be released into the atmosphere for every time a washing machine is run.

What can we do?

Current water systems cannot filter all plastic particles due to different particle sizes.

Bottled water is also not a safer alternative, as University of Minnesota scientists have also found microplastics in some bottled water samples.

“We are increasingly polluting the ecosystem with plastic, and I am very worried about the unintended consequences of being slow to stop it,” said Roland Geyer, an ecologist at the University of California.

Dr. Mahon said that there are more and more studies pointing to microplastic pollution, but at this time, it is necessary to research how to handle plastic products to minimize pollution.

According to Dantri