Drinking bottled water every day exposes you to up to 90,000 microplastics a year

Dubai: People who drink bottled water every day may be ingesting an extra 90,000 microplastic particles annually, according to a new review of scientific research by researchers from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

The review analysed more than 140 scientific studies and found that, on average, individuals ingest between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles per year. Those who rely on bottled water consume around 90,000 more particles annually compared with people who drink tap water.

Most of these particles are invisible to the naked eye. A microplastic particle ranges from one micron (one-thousandth of a millimetre) to five millimetres, while nanoplastics are even smaller, measuring less than one micron.

According to the research, microplastics are released at several stages of a bottle’s life cycle - during manufacturing, storage, transportation and breakdown over time.

Because many bottles are made from low-quality plastic, they shed tiny particles whenever they are handled. Exposure to sunlight and temperature changes further accelerates this process.

Unlike other plastic particles that enter the body through the food chain, microplastics from bottled water are ingested directly from the source.

The review also examined a 2018 study by researchers from the State University of New York at Fredonia, which analysed bottled water samples from 16 countries.

The study found that Nestlé Pure Life and India-based Bisleri recorded the highest average concentrations of microplastic particles, ranging from 826 to 2,277 particles per litre.

The potential health effects are serious.

Once inside the body, micro- and nanoplastics can cross biological barriers, enter the bloodstream and reach vital organs.

This may lead to chronic inflammation, oxidative stress on cells, hormonal disruption, impaired reproduction, neurological damage and various types of cancer.

However, researchers stress that the long-term effects are still poorly understood, largely due to limited testing and a lack of standardised methods for detecting and measuring microplastics.

The study identifies several methods used to measure nano- and microplastics, each with limitations.

Some techniques can detect extremely small particles but cannot determine their chemical composition. Others can identify what the plastics are made of but miss the smallest particles. The most accurate and reliable tools are often very expensive and not widely available.

The researchers advise caution rather than panic.

“Drinking water from plastic bottles is fine in an emergency, but it is not something that should be used in daily life. People need to understand that the issue is not acute toxicity, it is chronic toxicity,” said Sarah Sajedi, lead author of the review published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, in remarks shared by Concordia University.

Research into how microplastics enter the human body and their long-term effects is still developing.

However, recent studies show that microplastics have seeped into almost every aspect of daily life, from bottled water and food to household items such as children’s plastic toys.

In response, the UAE has expanded its efforts to curb plastic pollution by banning more single-use plastics from January 1, 2026.

From January 2026, the import, manufacture and trade of a wider range of single-use plastic products will be prohibited, including:

Dubai Municipality will implement the final phase of its single-use plastic ban from January 1, 2026, tightening restrictions across the emirate. This phase will restrict items such as plastic plates, cutlery (including chopsticks), beverage cups and lids.

Dubai’s earlier plastic ban has already limited single-use items like plastic bags, cups, plates, containers, stirrers, cotton buds, table covers, and straws.