Austrian scholars study warning -

　　Drinking plastic bottled water may ingest nearly 100,000 microplastics each year

　　Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, April 5th (intern reporter Zhang Jiaxin) The scientific community has been constantly discovering the impact of microplastics.

According to data from a new study led by academics at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, drinking plastic bottled water year-round could result in nearly 100,000 microplastic and nanoplastic (MNP) particles per person per year.

　　These results are based on studies of various types of MNPs found in natural environments and how they enter human systems.

　　The structures of most MNPs can only be discovered with specialized instruments.

Although these particles are small, they are of various types.

　　The study from the Medical University of Vienna explains that microplastics are 0.001-5mm in size and are still visible to the naked eye to some extent.

Nanoplastics, however, are much smaller, measuring around 0.001 mm.

　　According to the university's report, the recommended amount of water per person per day, which averages about 1.5 liters, may be affected by MNP if they drink from plastic bottles.

　　A person who drinks plastic bottled water year-round will drink more than 90,000 plastic particles a year.

A person who likes to drink tap water can consume 50,000 fewer particles, or about half as much MNP as a consumer of plastic bottled water.

　　A healthy gut system is more likely to resist the effects of microplastics on the body, says Lucas Kenner, author of the research paper and an expert at the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Applied Metabolomics in Vienna and the Center for Medical Biomarkers Research in Graz. negative impact.

　　However, local changes in the gastrointestinal tract caused by factors such as chronic disease or stress can make people vulnerable to damaging MNPs.

　　According to the authors, discussing the pros and cons of global plastic consumption is necessary, but a complex set of issues needs to be addressed.

Many industries rely on plastic bottles because of its lower risk of contamination.

In addition, the health and medical sectors also like plastic-based media because they are more surgical-friendly while keeping the environment sterile and safe.

　　The team anticipates more research on MNPs and their association with human health.

The research was published in Exposure and Health, a leading journal in the field of environmental and occupational health.