Microplastics in drinking water not a health risk for now: WHO
As public opinion begins to realize the need to fight against plastic, this pollutant has never been so present around us : in the air we breathe, on our plate and even in the water that we drink. It is precisely on its presence in drinking water that the World Health Organization has split a statement on Thursday, August 22. "It is urgent to know more about the health consequences of microplastics, because they are present everywhere, including in the water we drink," said Dr. Maria Neira, Director of Public Health, Environment and social determinants of health at WHO in a statement. "According to the limited information we have, microplastics in drinking water do not seem to pose health risks, at least at current levels, but we need to look deeper into this. of plastic pollution all over the world ".
In its analysis, WHO synthesizes the state of research on microplastics in drinking water. Verdict: "Those larger than 150 microns are in principle not absorbed by the human body, and the absorption of smaller particles should be limited," says WHO, "absorption and distribution of very small microplastic particles, especially nanoparticles, should however be higher, even if the data on this subject are very limited ".
THE IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH STILL UNKNOWN
The organization calls for a thorough assessment of microplastics in the environment and their potential consequences for human health. Among the fields of study to be explored: the measurement of microplastic particles in water, new studies on sources and the presence of microplastics in freshwater, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of different treatment processes . Treating wastewater effectively is a "way of removing more than 90% of the micro-plastics in these waters". However, "a large part of the world population does not currently benefit from adapted water and wastewater treatment systems".
Today, studies on the ingestion of plastic by humans are published in the drop-in. It is still difficult given the scant amount of current knowledge to measure the actual impact of this plastic contamination on the body, including via bottled water.
The available evidence is not reassuring: last June, a Canadian study based on lifestyles and consumption of Americans concluded that a man ingests 52,000 microparticles of plastic each year.
In March 2018, US researchers at Arizona State University in the United States unveiled the disturbing results of a test conducted on bottled water from 11 brands purchased at 19 locations in nine countries around the world. They argued that 93% of the samples analyzed were contaminated with plastic (polypropylene, nylon and PET). At what dose? On average 325 particles per liter.
The presence of microplastics in bottled water would not pose a risk to health, said the World Health Organization, which nevertheless calls for extensive research.
As public opinion begins to realize the need to fight against plastic, this pollutant has never been so present around us : in the air we breathe, on our plate and even in the water that we drink. It is precisely on its presence in drinking water that the World Health Organization has split a statement on Thursday, August 22. "It is urgent to know more about the health consequences of microplastics, because they are present everywhere, including in the water we drink," said Dr. Maria Neira, Director of Public Health, Environment and social determinants of health at WHO in a statement. "According to the limited information we have, microplastics in drinking water do not seem to pose health risks, at least at current levels, but we need to look deeper into this. of plastic pollution all over the world ".
In its analysis, WHO synthesizes the state of research on microplastics in drinking water. Verdict: "Those larger than 150 microns are in principle not absorbed by the human body, and the absorption of smaller particles should be limited," says WHO, "absorption and distribution of very small microplastic particles, especially nanoparticles, should however be higher, even if the data on this subject are very limited ".
THE IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH STILL UNKNOWN
The organization calls for a thorough assessment of microplastics in the environment and their potential consequences for human health. Among the fields of study to be explored: the measurement of microplastic particles in water, new studies on sources and the presence of microplastics in freshwater, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of different treatment processes . Treating wastewater effectively is a "way of removing more than 90% of the micro-plastics in these waters". However, "a large part of the world population does not currently benefit from adapted water and wastewater treatment systems".
Today, studies on the ingestion of plastic by humans are published in the drop-in. It is still difficult given the scant amount of current knowledge to measure the actual impact of this plastic contamination on the body, including via bottled water.
The available evidence is not reassuring: last June, a Canadian study based on lifestyles and consumption of Americans concluded that a man ingests 52,000 microparticles of plastic each year.
In March 2018, US researchers at Arizona State University in the United States unveiled the disturbing results of a test conducted on bottled water from 11 brands purchased at 19 locations in nine countries around the world. They argued that 93% of the samples analyzed were contaminated with plastic (polypropylene, nylon and PET). At what dose? On average 325 particles per liter.
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