A new research reveals what is truly hiding in the bottled water

“I was standing there while I was looking for this wonderful view of the Andaman Sea, then I looked down and under my feet all these pieces of plastic, most of which are water bottles,” she says.

“I have always had a passion for reducing waste, but I realized that this is a consumption problem.”

Sajedi, BSC ’91 decided to return to Concordia to follow a PhD with a focus on plastic waste. As the co -founder of the ERA Environmental Management Solutions, a pioneering provider of environmental, health and safety programs, has brought contracts of experience to complete her studies.

Her last paper, published in Magazine of dangerous materialsThe science is seen about the health risks posed by one use plastic water bottles. It is serious, as you say, and those with deception.

Small threats, unknown unknown

In her review of more than 140 scientific articles, Sajidi wrote that individuals on average swing between 39,000 and 52,000 miniature particles per year, and consuming water users in bottles of 90,000 molecules consume more than consumers of tap water.

The particles are usually invisible to the naked eye. The exact plastic particle can range from one micron – a thousand millimeters – to five millimeters; The nanic plastic is smaller than one micron.

It appears when manufacturing, storing, transporting, and breaking the bottles over their life. Since it is often made of low -quality plastic, it drops small pieces every time they are manipulated and exposed to sunlight and temperature fluctuations. Unlike other types of plastic molecules, which enter human bodies in the food chain, they are taken directly from the source.

As Sajidi notes, health consequences can be severe. Once you enter the body, this small plastic can cross the biological borders, enter the bloodstream and reach vital organs. This can lead to chronic inflammation, oxidative stress on cells, hormonal disorder, poor reproduction, nervous damage and various types of cancer. However, long -term effects are still incomprehensible due to the lack of a wide test and the unified methods of measurement and detection.

Sajedi defines multiple methods that researchers have used to measure summer and microbial IUD, each with their strengths and weaknesses. For example, some can discover very small particles but cannot determine their chemical composition. Others can provide details about their makeup but are absent from the smallest plastic. The best and most reliable tools are very expensive and are not always available.

Education is the best prevention

Sajidi is encouraged by the legislative measure adopted by governments all over the world aimed at reducing plastic waste. However, you notice that the most common targets are the one -use plastic bags, straw and packaging. Few takes the urgent issue for one use water bottles.

“Education is the most important measure that we can take,” she says. “Drinking drinking water from plastic bottles is good in the event of an emergency, but this is not something to be used in daily life. People need to understand that the issue is not a sharp toxicity – it’s chronic toxicity.”

ChunjiangAssociate Professor, and 未分类Professor, in Department of Building and Civil and Environment in Gina Cody College for Engineering and Computer Science Contribute to this paper.

This research has been supported by the Research and Natural Engineering Council in Canada and the University of Concordia.