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Microplastics found in 93% of bottled water tested in global study

cbc.ca

131–140 of 383 posts

Re: Microplastics found in 93% of bottled water tested in global study

#131
post #4

It's good to see the honest qualifications in the article: >Mason's team was able to identify specific plastics over 100 microns (0.10 mm) in size but not smaller particles. According to experts contacted by CBC News, there is a chance the Nile Red dye is adhering to another unknown substance other than plastic. >Mason leaves open that possibility but leans strongly to the smaller particles being plastic. >The develo…

For practical purpose does it matter? It detects non-water particles(pollution) in twice higher ratio than in tap water and plastic bottled water is sold as way purer than tap water with 1000 time higher price. Basically it's scam.

Re: Microplastics found in 93% of bottled water tested in global study

#132

Went looking to see what the comparison to tap water was: > Orb found on average there were 10.4 particles of plastic per litre that were 100 microns (0.10 mm) or bigger. This is double the level of microplastics in the tap water tested from more than a dozen countries across five continents, examined in a 2017 study by Orb that looked at similar-sized plastics. Worse... it's worse than tap water.

Tap water in the developed world is really really good. You can measure a country by the ability of that nation to provide clean water to people. Municipal water supplies in cities like Atlanta and Cincinnati are often tested 200~300 times per month at several pumping and maintenance locations. Bottled water is a scam, and it also is a resources that's often extracted from poor countries and communities. The document…

> that's often extracted from poor countries and communities.

Most bottled water came out of a local tap.

Re: Microplastics found in 93% of bottled water tested in global study

#133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was wondering the same thing. I saw an article yesterday about scientists just discovering that tea bags release billions of micro and nano particles.

the tea bags are a new plastic mesh kind, currently from a small handful of manufacturers.

The PET and nylon tea bags tend to be pyramid shaped.

From the BBC >This is usually so that the tea bag is held in a pyramid shape, which producers claim helps the tea leaves infuse better.

Re: Microplastics found in 93% of bottled water tested in global study

#136
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In at least a couple of European countries it is well known that unless your city has specific problems tap water is better than bottled water. The reason being that (except some cases of corruption...) legal limit are much stricter for tap water. Better in impurities at the very least, the taste is usually quite worse.

Living in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, I can confirm that our water is extremely clean and good to drink. Additionally our city was rated one of the best tasting tap waters for all of Ontario, cities literally compete for quality water. Contrast that to Flint michigan across the river from me.

Dude not a fair comparison, here in Canada there's probably the best tap water in the world ;)

Re: Microplastics found in 93% of bottled water tested in global study

#137
post #135

The real question: is municipal sourced water "better" (have fewer plastics) than bottled water? Edit: article says tap water is better

Highly variable based on where you live, some places it is far better, some places it can get you sick.

Re: Microplastics found in 93% of bottled water tested in global study

#139
post #69

And I should care about this why exactly? They haven't been found to be harmful to humans. Best I can tell we just poop it all out. This has all the hallmarks of a manufactured crisis that's not actually a crisis.

There's a concerning increase of colon cancer (not a fake increase because of better detection) and researchers have no idea why it is happening. Microplastics need to be ruled out.

The state of medical sciences is so abysmal we can't even "rule" whether eggs and butter are good or bad. What makes you think this determination can even be made at all?

Re: Microplastics found in 93% of bottled water tested in global study

#140
post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Living in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, I can confirm that our water is extremely clean and good to drink. Additionally our city was rated one of the best tasting tap waters for all of Ontario, cities literally compete for quality water. Contrast that to Flint michigan across the river from me.

Best tasting or least tasting? (Since water is tasteless...)

> Since water is tasteless...

I think for some people this might seem to be true. That said, for folks who are able to taste such things, clean water from different sources definitely can have tastes that differ based on the minerality of the water.

I used to think this was BS, but I changed my mind after doing a deep dive into wine, in which flavors like minerality of the soil, local flowers, and the like are definitely represented in finer wines.

For an over-the-top water example, check out this video:

https://youtu.be/rg3Mr6e1KMo

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