Bottled water often has a slight plastic taste. Does this mean I am ingesting microscopic plastic particles?
In: 1253
Particles, I don’t think so. Chemicals from the plastics – maybe. Likely all due to osmosis or from chemicals which would have been used to clean the plastic. Sorry I can’t eli5 more than that.
You are injesting tiny amounts of microplastics. However this plastic will just go straight through your digestion system without doing any harm. The plastic used for things like drinking bottles are specifically selected because there is no way they can interfere with your body. There are actually quite few plastics which can interfere with any biological processes as plastic generally is very chemically stable.
Are you sure you aren’t tasting the added minerals?
The bottling process often adds magnesium sulfate, sodium bicarbonate, KCl, and perhaps one or two others for taste. Try distilled to compare a change in taste, but you’re likely not ingesting microplastics.
Yes. But not from the plastic bottle. From all the other plastics we’ve let contaminate our environment. But that doesn’t affect the taste. Like another post mentioned, probably chemicals from the bottle that affects the taste
Don’t worry about the microplastics you are ingesting. Also, do not worry about the microplastics you are breathing in.
https://www.sciencealert.com/microplastics-are-now-spiralling-around-the-globe-in-the-air-we-breathe
I don’t know why nobody brought up the plasticizers. Basically plastic by nature is a hard brittle substance combined with a soft tough one. These plasticizers like bisphenol-a (BPA) make the plastic flexible. They also have an estrogenic effect in the body and disrupt the endocrine system. There was a big stink a few years ago and bpa was removed from many things and replaced with other placticizers which also have the same effect on the body but have the advantage of being able to be sold with tags that say BPA free. BPA was singled out because of its common usage. So the best way to avoid it is…I guess time machine?
Yes, the taste of plastic probably means you are ingesting them; yes they are bad for you (although more research is needed as to how bad).
Frankly I am stunned that any commenter would suggest otherwise.
https://time.com/5581326/plastic-particles-in-bottled-water/
Bottled water likely does not contain microplastics as others are saying.
What you are tasting is likely additives in the plastic leeching out. Additives for food-contacting plastics are usually non-toxic
Source: i injection mold for a living
Microplastic is basically everywhere now, there is literally no avoiding it, so it doesn’t really matter
[removed]
Latest Answers