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Why in News:
- A recent study conducted in the United States has unveiled a concerning revelation regarding bottled water, as it has detected the presence of hundreds of thousands of nanoplastic particles.
Key points:
- As per the study, each liter of bottled water contains 110,000 to 370,000 nanoplastic particles.
- About 90% of these particles are nanosized, posing a higher risk to human health.
- Nanoplastics are even smaller than microplastics, ranging below 1 micrometer in size.
- Unlike microplastics (ranging between 5 millimeters and 1 micrometer), nanoplastics can move from the intestines and lungs directly into the bloodstream before reaching the heart and brain.
Characteristic | Microplastics | Nanoplastics |
Size | Larger, typically 1 μm to 5 mm | Smaller, typically < 1 μm |
Origin | Breakdown of larger plastic items | Result of further degradation |
Environmental Impact | Can be ingested by larger organisms and visible pollution | Can enter cells and potentially impact at a cellular level |
Behavior in Water | Susceptible to settling and aggregation | Tend to remain suspended in water for longer periods |
Detection | Easier to detect and quantify | More challenging to detect and quantify |
Potential Health Impact | May harm organisms through ingestion | Greater potential for cellular-level damage |
