WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study has found that bottled water of several major brands contain tiny particles of plastic.
Orb Media, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., conducted tests on 259 bottles from 11 leading brands. 'Of the 259 total bottles analyzed, 93% showed signs of microplastics,' the report says.
Contaminated bottles included leading brands Evian, San Pellegrino, Dasani, Nestle Pure Life and Aquafina, purchased from 19 location in nine countries.
'Tests on more than 250 bottles from 11 brands reveal contamination with plastic including polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET),' the study said.
Orb says when two leading brands were contacted by reporters they confirmed their products contained microplastic, but they said Orb's study significantly overstates the amount.
For plastic particles in the 100 micron, or 0.10 millimeter size range, tests conducted for Orb at the State University of New York revealed a global average of 10.4 plastic particles per liter. These particles were confirmed as plastic using an industry standard infrared microscope.
The tests also showed a much greater number of even smaller particles that researchers said are also likely plastic. The global average for these particles was 314.6 per liter.
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