Consumers concerned about health impact of drinking from plastic bottles, study finds

Microplastics and nanoplastics have been linked to an array of health issues

Bottled supplies are the main source of water for four-fifths of UAE residents, the study by YouGov and Wisewell found. AFP

The majority of 1,000 participants surveyed in the UAE are worried about the impact that drinking water from a plastic bottle may have on their health.

Conducted by YouGov in collaboration with UAE-based water purification start-up Wisewell, the survey found that bottled water was the main source for 80 per cent of those surveyed, while 3 per cent consumed water directly from the tap.

Sami Khoreibi, founder and executive chairman of Wisewell told The National the behaviour is “probably a function of perception”.

“One of the challenges with recycling plastic and putting water back in it, is that you have a higher leakage rate of microplastics and nanoplastics with recycled plastic versus with new plastic,” said Mr Khoreibi.

Scientists across the globe have been raising concern regarding plastic consumption and the impact it can have on health. Earlier this year, findings released by researchers at Columbia University in New York found that one litre of water contains up to 240,000 detectable plastic fragments.

The Columbia team used a new technology able to detect tiny pieces of plastic known as nanoplastics, fragments of larger microplastics. Nanoplastics are so small that they can enter the bloodstream once consumed and travel to organs, such as the heart and brain.

According to some studies, people may consume the equivalent of 50 plastic bags a year, due to microplastic pollution in food. Other research has quantified the amount ingested as about 5 grams of plastic per week per person – the equivalent of consuming one credit card each week.

How plastics may impact health

According to the UN, every year about 20 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas. This then makes its way into animals and food systems.

Research published on Wednesday by the American Chemical Society concluded that microplastics impact three main body systems; digestive, reproductive and respiratory health. The ingestion of such plastics had already been linked to health issues such as heart health, Parkinson's disease and male fertility.

Parkinson's disease is among the most rapidly increasing and debilitating neurological disorders. The condition which affects roughly 8.5 million people worldwide is defined by the degeneration of a specific group of nerve cells responsible for controlling movement.

A study by researchers from South Korea looked at the impact of nanoparticles from polystyrene – a material commonly used in the production of disposable food containers and cups – on nerve cells.

Their findings revealed that these strongly bound to a protein linked to Parkinson's, triggering the formation of toxic aggregates that resemble the clumps typically observed in the disease.

How microplastics are produced and make their way into our food. Roy Cooper / The National

Summit stalled

According to the UN, every year about 20 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas.

This month, negotiators at a UN plastic pollution summit in Busan, South Korea, had sought to put in place a treaty to limit plastic production. However, the summit failed to reach a conclusion. Erin Simon vice president and head of plastic waste and business with environmental non-governmental organisation WWF, called the failure “disheartening”.

“When member states unanimously agreed to deliver a treaty the planet needs by 2024, the world believed them. Now, the price for inaction is far greater than wasted time, it puts both planetary and human health on the line and sets us up for a scenario where ambition could diminish over time.” said Ms Simon.

The intergovernmental negotiation committee on plastics will resume discussions in 2025, with the venue yet to be announced.