Microplastic pollution of bottled water in China

Abstract

Microplastic (MP) (<5 mm) pollution is ubiquitous in various environments, and poses a significant threat to organisms in the ecosystem and even human health. Although efficient methods of MP analysis have been performed, the potential impacts of MPs in drinking water on humans is still lacking. Microplastics occurrence has been extensively described in media such as waters and soils, however little is known regarding their prevalence in our beverage sold in plastic packaging. In this study, we systematically analyzed 23 brands of bottled water in China for the presence of MPs (>25 μm) using focal plane array-based micro-Fourier transform infrared microscopy imaging. Two forms (fibers and fragments) and 11 types of MPs (polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, polyethylene vinyl acetate, and cellulose) with sizes of 0.025–5.000 mm and abundances ranging from 2 particles/bottle to 23 particles/bottle were identified. Based on this investigation, MP contamination may originate from the raw water source and flakes from the packaging. The estimated daily intakes for adults and children were expected to be 0.274 M P/(kg·d) and 0.600 M P/(kg·d), respectively. These findings will help to achieve a full and proper assessment of MPs in drinking water in China.