Characteristics of Nano-plastics in Bottled Drinking Water

Yihe Huang; Ka Ki Wong; Wei Li; Haoran Zhao; Tianming Wang; Sorin Stanescu; Stephen Boult; B E van Dongen; Paul Mativenga; Lin Li

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127404

Characteristics of Nano-plastics in Bottled Drinking Water

Yihe Huang, Ka Ki Wong, Wei Li, Haoran Zhao, Tianming Wang, Sorin Stanescu, Stephen Boult, B E van Dongen, Paul Mativenga, Lin Li

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Plastic pollution in water is threatening the environment and human health. Previous relevant studies mainly focus on macro and micro plastic pollutions and their characteristics. Little is known about the extent and characteristics of nano-scale plastics in our drinking water systems, mainly due to difficulties in their isolation and analysis. These nano-plastics may pose higher risk to human health than micro-plastics. Here we report the collection and analysis of organic nanoparticles from commercial bottled water of two brands. Novel nano-plastic particle imaging and molecular structure analysis techniques have been applied. The findings show the existence of organic nanoparticles of 0.6 mg/L concentration (84% particle around 433 nm and16% around 66 nm in size) from bottled water. A likely source has been identified to be the degradation of plastic water bottles. Based on this finding, the average intake of nano-plastics per person in Europe could be well over the health hazard threshold.

Original language	English
Article number	127404
Journal	Journal of Hazardous Materials
Volume	424
Early online date	30 Sept 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127404
Publication status	Published - 15 Feb 2022

Keywords

Environment
Health
Nano
Plastic
Pollution
Water

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127404

HAZMAT_127404 - Final - CleanAccepted author manuscript, 2.43 MB

RE3 - Rethinking Resources and Recycling
Li, L. (PI), Azapagic, A. (CoI), Boons, F. (CoI), Browne, A. L. (CoI), Evans, J. (CoI), Garforth, A. (CoI), Hardacre, C. (CoI), Hoolohan, C. (CoI), Mativenga, P. (CoI), Raveendran Nair, R. (CoI), Sampson, W. (CoI), Sharmina, M. (CoI), Shaver, M. (CoI) & Turner, N. (CoI)
1/01/19 → 31/12/20
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Characteristics of Nano-plastics in Bottled Drinking Water",

abstract = "Plastic pollution in water is threatening the environment and human health. Previous relevant studies mainly focus on macro and micro plastic pollutions and their characteristics. Little is known about the extent and characteristics of nano-scale plastics in our drinking water systems, mainly due to difficulties in their isolation and analysis. These nano-plastics may pose higher risk to human health than micro-plastics. Here we report the collection and analysis of organic nanoparticles from commercial bottled water of two brands. Novel nano-plastic particle imaging and molecular structure analysis techniques have been applied. The findings show the existence of organic nanoparticles of 0.6 mg/L concentration (84% particle around 433 nm and16% around 66 nm in size) from bottled water. A likely source has been identified to be the degradation of plastic water bottles. Based on this finding, the average intake of nano-plastics per person in Europe could be well over the health hazard threshold.",

keywords = "Environment, Health, Nano, Plastic, Pollution, Water",

author = "Yihe Huang and Wong, {Ka Ki} and Wei Li and Haoran Zhao and Tianming Wang and Sorin Stanescu and Stephen Boult and {van Dongen}, {B E} and Paul Mativenga and Lin Li",

note = "Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the funding of the research by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council ( EPSRC ) in “RE3- Rethinking Resources and Recycling”, Ref: EP/S025200/1 . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127404",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Characteristics of Nano-plastics in Bottled Drinking Water

AU - Huang, Yihe

AU - Wong, Ka Ki

AU - Li, Wei

AU - Zhao, Haoran

AU - Wang, Tianming

AU - Stanescu, Sorin

AU - Boult, Stephen

AU - van Dongen, B E

AU - Mativenga, Paul

AU - Li, Lin

N1 - Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the funding of the research by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council ( EPSRC ) in “RE3- Rethinking Resources and Recycling”, Ref: EP/S025200/1 . Publisher Copyright: © 2021

PY - 2022/2/15

Y1 - 2022/2/15

N2 - Plastic pollution in water is threatening the environment and human health. Previous relevant studies mainly focus on macro and micro plastic pollutions and their characteristics. Little is known about the extent and characteristics of nano-scale plastics in our drinking water systems, mainly due to difficulties in their isolation and analysis. These nano-plastics may pose higher risk to human health than micro-plastics. Here we report the collection and analysis of organic nanoparticles from commercial bottled water of two brands. Novel nano-plastic particle imaging and molecular structure analysis techniques have been applied. The findings show the existence of organic nanoparticles of 0.6 mg/L concentration (84% particle around 433 nm and16% around 66 nm in size) from bottled water. A likely source has been identified to be the degradation of plastic water bottles. Based on this finding, the average intake of nano-plastics per person in Europe could be well over the health hazard threshold.

AB - Plastic pollution in water is threatening the environment and human health. Previous relevant studies mainly focus on macro and micro plastic pollutions and their characteristics. Little is known about the extent and characteristics of nano-scale plastics in our drinking water systems, mainly due to difficulties in their isolation and analysis. These nano-plastics may pose higher risk to human health than micro-plastics. Here we report the collection and analysis of organic nanoparticles from commercial bottled water of two brands. Novel nano-plastic particle imaging and molecular structure analysis techniques have been applied. The findings show the existence of organic nanoparticles of 0.6 mg/L concentration (84% particle around 433 nm and16% around 66 nm in size) from bottled water. A likely source has been identified to be the degradation of plastic water bottles. Based on this finding, the average intake of nano-plastics per person in Europe could be well over the health hazard threshold.

KW - Environment

KW - Health

KW - Nano

KW - Plastic

KW - Pollution

KW - Water

U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127404

DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127404

M3 - Article

C2 - 34736178

AN - SCOPUS:85118331699

SN - 0304-3894

VL - 424

JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials

JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials

M1 - 127404

ER -

Characteristics of Nano-plastics in Bottled Drinking Water

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Projects

RE3 - Rethinking Resources and Recycling

Cite this