"How Worried Are You About The Use of Nanoplastics?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about something known as nanoplastics.  Became quite concerned when I realized I drink quite a bit of fluids out of plastic containers.  Well, nanoplastics are smaller than a wavelength of light...too small to see with an optical microscope.  Previous studies showed they were there, including one published report in 2021 demonstrating how to detect them in bottled water.  To detect nanoparticles, scientists can take advantage of a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering.  Shine a laser through pure water and you won't see the beam.  Add enough tiny particles, even nanoparticles and the beam becomes visible.  More particles means brighter scattering.  The new study used a different laser technique.  It revealed more particles per bottle than the 2021 study, though it wasn't clear why the two methods got such different results.  What you need to know is how much plastic is in a glass of tap water versus bottled water, and whether reusable bottles...which are often made of harder plastics...face the same problems as cheaper plastic bottles.  Do home filtering systems add or remove plastic nanoparticles?  In the past it was thought that you could be exposed to nanoparticles from gas stoves, wood fires, candles, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, diesel engines and more.  Well, we are all exposed, in many cases, to far more nanoparticles than are present in bottled water.  Airborne nanoparticle concentration is most commonly reported in weight per column of air and exposure tracked by mass.  But, is it the total amount of plastic or the number of pieces that matter most?  We don't seem to ingest quite as much plastic as is said in the media.  In the last several years, some news organizations have been repeating that we eat about a credit card's equivalent in plastic every week.  That figure, five grams, is dubious.  Scientists have found major errors in that analysis and subsequent studies give estimates a million times lower.  At least that is encouraging!  Most of the plastic we soncume comes from the larger particles.  The smaller nanoparticles don't make a significant change in the total mass ingested.  Even 240,000 nanoparticles weigh only trillions of a gram.  The study suggests that it's their small size that may pose the danger.  Nanoparticles can slip into the bloodstream, get into organs and sneak into sells, where they may cause harm!  A recent publication goes through models and animal studies showing that plastic likely goes into most of our major organs and even affects the good bacteria that makes up our microbiome.  That is not proof of harm, just reason for concern.  It also points to more research being needed!  Some studies suggest that not all plastic particles are equally dangerous.  Some studies showed noticeable health effects only from plastics with certain additives not found in water bottles.  The plastic problem can seem overwhelming when particles get inside our bodies from the air we breathe, the food we eat and the beverages we drink.  It isn't just bottled water, but likely all those popular sodas, juices, sports drinks and other beverages sold in plastic bottles.  Many reusable bottles are plastic or have plastic lids.  Tackling the problem requires more information about sizes and kinds of particles that are most dangerous and where they come from.  Cutting back on water is not the answer, since hydration is vital for health.  So perhaps, as a first step we could demand more drinking fountains, more water coolers and studies that vouch for the safety of reusable bottles.  Maybe there is a technology fix, something that can be done to reduce the production of the particles.  There could be demand for new forms of packaging.  And there could be a new demand for water and other drinks sold in glass bottles only.  But, enough alarming data has now amassed that it's time to move from fear and outrage to action!  But, will that happen?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.