Bottled water is a sham and people are paying a ridiculous price for them. Especially if you put "smart" water on the label. I better not get started on this. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised of they are find it in breast milk (not formulas, that's a given there.)
Well, I went ahead and did a quick literature search which confirms your suspicion re: breast milk unfortunately:
" In this pilot single-centre observational prospective study, human breastmilk samples collected from N. 34 women were analysed by Raman Microspectroscopy, and, for the first time, MP contamination was found in 26 out of 34 samples. The detected microparticles were classified according to their shape, colour, dimensions, and chemical composition. The most abundant MPs were composed of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene, with sizes ranging from 2 to 12 µm. MP data were statistically analysed in relation to specific patients’ data (age, use of personal care products containing plastic compounds, and consumption of fish/shellfish, beverages, and food in plastic packaging), but no significant relationship was found, suggesting that the ubiquitous MP presence makes human exposure inevitable."
Well, call me shocked. You recall from my substack piece on plastic plague, micro/nano plastic is pervasive, even at the Antarctic and most likely at the summit of Mt. Everest.
So wouldn’t it be great Dr.McCormick if the ultra rich CEOs of the world actually thought of (at least) their own health and started making it illegal( oh my god) to produce plastic water bottles!
I see people cart huge amounts of bottled water out of Costco thinking this is safe for everyone. Or just plain “ not thinking period”!
My my how can sane people keep putting up with the governments built to take advantage of everyone by not hearing anyone?
I am sad! I remember public drinking fountains in our public buildings and in our parks and schools. I even remember drinking clear crystal water out of streams in Idaho as a young person. I can be crude and say, well I am old so I don’t have to care.... but I do, I care about every living animal on this “used to be “incredible planet . And I abhor the ugly ,stupid, race to diminish our intelligence and our compassion . Shame is spelled with a dollar sign!$hame $hame, $hame!!!😱🥹
And here I am scratching out beer money by typing hopefully helpful ideas...
Speaking of which, anyone want to buy some "Examined" brand water? It will be sourced from the tap in my examining room, but in glass bottles instead. A case starts at $25.
Side effects may include nausea, shooting diarrhea, nausea, headaches, vomiting, dry mouth and death. If you experience any of the symptoms, tell your doctor.
Hi Jean - I think this stump speech is ready for prime time :) It troubles me so greatly that people of all political persuasions can't come to a reasonable consensus on environmental issues, which are going to be the undoing of our collective health, wellbeing, and potentially all of civilization. One side is so incredibly hostile, drill baby, drill. Like the movie Don't Look Up, it doesn't end well for anyone, CEO's included.
We avoid plastic water bottles, even the water in our car is in repurposed glass bottles. One thing we do to reduce plastic is buy our shampoo/conditioner in bar form and we use laundry detergent/fabric softener sheets from TruEarth(http/www.tru.earth)They have many plastic free products. We just started using their toilet bowl cleaner sheets and they work great also.
That's a great start, and makes difference in your own life, and supporting good companies with your dollars is as good as charity donations in my opinion.
I use a shampoo bar and a soap bar, too! I like these, which are now available at Whole Foods (but larger variety Chagrin Valley website):
I’ve switched to a shampoo bar, too, and I love it. I’ve replaced a lot of the plastic stuff in my house with products from Life Without Plastic (lifewithoutplastic.com) made of stainless steel, glass, bamboo, hemp. Durable and beautiful. I wish more stores would move away from plastic and styrofoam packaging. Most of the plastics in my recycling bin are those plastic clamshells.
Thank you for sharing your choice in reverse osmosis purifiers. After reading about this study this week I began to look at filtering my water beyond the carbon filter in our refrigerator. Also the study didn't talk about other plastic bottles like those used for gallon water bottles (the same kind used for milk) or reusable plastic water bottles (BPA free) or foods packaged in plastic like mustard, orange juice and almost everything at the grocery store. I assume it's not good.
Hi Charlene - I think the carbon filters are better than nothing, but I do think reverse osmosis is an order of magnitude better. More expensive, but when compared to what people spend on water bottles, usually cheaper within a year. Installing an RO filtration system in our house seemed too fussy and wasteful, so I just like this countertop one for drinking water.
And yes, nanoplastics are ubiquitous, so we can only reduce exposure but not avoid. Sigh, among many sighs these days.
Thank you for this excellent exposition of the problem with microplastics. At 86 I have probably absorbed my fill of them, and part of me says, “Well, you’re holding the short end of the string, why bother!” The other part of me, the human being that is still part of this planet says, “Every vote counts!!! Do your bit, no matter how small!” We search for easy solutions to everyday life issues. For example, I keep a box of plastic water bottles by the back door so that my gardener or my housekeepers will be encouraged to drink while they work, or I can offer water to a delivery person, especially in the heat of summer. It is also handy to grab a water bottle to take in the car, rather than making the effort of finding the glass water bottle, returning to the water filter, filling it, and then leaving on my errand. We look for ways to make things simple, speedy, and yet here are the “invisible” negatives of handing out life-enhancing water in plastic bottles. I guess it is always about the “battle” choices we make. (My internist always wants to know how much alcohol I drink. I love my wine! My accommodation: 1 x 3 oz glass maybe 4 times a week at most, unless dining out with friends, maybe once a month). I have indeed bought my own glass/metal water bottles and I am using them. Water is life! It is not “free”. It should not be poisoned. I have been using a Berkey water filter in the kitchen now for some years, and as I write this, and listen to myself, perhaps I need to put one by the back door in place of the box of plastic bottles? Hmmm?!!!
(Then, of course, there is the Texas approach: take your choice: get sick from overheating or microplastics..…no “legal” water breaks for construction workers, although I bet they will be encouraged to take their “microplastic” water bottles up the ladder! )
Hi Mary, and thank you so much for sharing this comment. I think it crystallizes a lot of the tradeoffs between convenience and burden, ubiquity of the problem vs. fighting each small battle. It is much worse to be dehydrated in Texas working outside, so by all means offer and drink bottled water in those situations when alternatives are not easy. But I agree that at any age we should keep playing the environmentally conscious game for the planet, ourselves, and younger generations.
I try to favor glass and paper packaging whenever possible, but our recycling bins are full of plastic each week anyway. Some federal and world leadership on this is so needed, so that playing fields are leveled and guardrails established, otherwise companies will naturally use the cheapest plastic containers to stay competitive and profitable, right? It's too late to reverse the Plasticene, but taking our foot off the pedal would be nice.
Cheers to the wine in moderation if you enjoy it! And boxed wine (lined with plastic of course) is not very good anyway ;)
The study was an eye-opening exploration of what the new imaging can do, just a beginning really. It's interesting/unsettling that the 7 polymers they examined were a fraction of the overall 'stuff' in the water, and that some of the plastic is not the material that bottles and caps are made of. Some of the nanoplastic is "most likely introduced before or during water production," possibly part of the water treatment or filtration processes. Yikes!
I appreciate you pointing out that beyond our individual choices, we need to foster environmental policies that protect the health of people and planet. Thank you.
The researchers mention that RO systems in the bottling industry are often made of PA membrane - one of the nanoplastics they cataloged. They're talking about industrial applications. I don't begin to know how this might impact home filtration.
Hi Dar - I totally agree, and you read the granular details i can see. I wanted to get into that as well, but the word count started ticking upwards so I just included the links. The other 90% of stuff is curious, and I'm sure there is much junk to discover there as well. The Earth has been recycling the same water molecules for billions of years, so hard to find pure water outside of fractional distillation! I'm hoping the nanoplastics potentially introduced before/during water production are from large scale industrial processes, and not found in the little RO countertop system I use, but alas. I'm also eating shrimp and mussels, and all the plastic that is in their bellies/bodies. What a sad mess we've made of the world. I blame The Graduate ;)
Thank you, Ryan. I think I am going to take a nap! There is so much information running through my head right now. And now you have added more. Have a great weekend and get some rest!
Thanks for stopping in before your nap Sharon! I am fading here, too. Out to shovel some snow and then an early-ish bedtime for a change. Have a great weekend, too!
Thank Mim - I saw this actually, and I'm just learning more about Thom Hartmann. I think this piece needs to be toned down a bit, but I like the underlying bones. If I have time I'll write a footnoted response to it.
I drink lots of water but not bottled water. I've been using Brita for years and use a coffee insulated thermos to bring with me when I'm on the road. Keeps my water cold which I like.
Many, many years ago, our water company started putting a lot of chlorine into our water supply which I could smell taking a shower. I don't remember the reason why they did that but it was when I started drinking bottled water before switching to Brita.
Last summer I was able to take a tour of our water treatment center which was so informative and interesting. One of the questions asked was about plastic particles in our water. The tour guide commented that it is something that continues to be tested and worked on but still looking for solutions to make our water more pure. The tour made me more comfortable about the safety of the water I drink but still like the taste of water from my Brita jug.
The water in Philly can definitely smell chlorinated, and after using a filter (on fridge) and the RO system, it tastes pretty chemical by comparison. I do respect the miracle of potable water from a tap you can just open from the sink, nonetheless. Pretty cool to see the treatment center engineering and chemistry I would agree.
Ugh! I have objected, loudly, to bottled water from the very beginning!! When I worked in a highschool I would see so many students carrying them around and it would drive me batty!! Slowly, slowly I noticed a change (and my long rants would be met with more agreement). It takes a long time for "cool" but "bad-for-the-environment" things to actually be recognized for what they are. Unfortunately by that time everyone has adjusted to the convenience of whatever it is - disposable water bottles, plastic bags, overly packaged goods, and on and on. Thank you for continuing to educate us all a little bit more, or a lot more! I have to believe that every little bit helps, in terms of education, what we do
That's so great that you have been ahead of the curve on this! I think a lot of students use reusable water bottles now, but I was shocked and appalled to read the stat about water bottle consumption doubling between 2004 and now. Likely from all the branding of "Dasani" and "Vitamin Water" and whatever else is out there I try not to consider.
The amount of plastic in my life is still insane, and I am one of the more conscious consumers. It's why we need laws and regulations to establish a fair playing field, so that producers are not forced to use the cheapest plastic stuff to compete with each other.
*Sigh*
Every little bit does add up, so I'll keep trying with you ;)
It really is a top to bottom food chain, circle of life problem. It might be as significant a problem as the change in climate. I don't see any end in sight. We individuals are left to find small hacks, but the problem is so ubiquitous. *Sigh*
Bottled water is a sham and people are paying a ridiculous price for them. Especially if you put "smart" water on the label. I better not get started on this. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised of they are find it in breast milk (not formulas, that's a given there.)
Well, I went ahead and did a quick literature search which confirms your suspicion re: breast milk unfortunately:
" In this pilot single-centre observational prospective study, human breastmilk samples collected from N. 34 women were analysed by Raman Microspectroscopy, and, for the first time, MP contamination was found in 26 out of 34 samples. The detected microparticles were classified according to their shape, colour, dimensions, and chemical composition. The most abundant MPs were composed of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene, with sizes ranging from 2 to 12 µm. MP data were statistically analysed in relation to specific patients’ data (age, use of personal care products containing plastic compounds, and consumption of fish/shellfish, beverages, and food in plastic packaging), but no significant relationship was found, suggesting that the ubiquitous MP presence makes human exposure inevitable."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9269371/
Well, call me shocked. You recall from my substack piece on plastic plague, micro/nano plastic is pervasive, even at the Antarctic and most likely at the summit of Mt. Everest.
The reason I brought this up was seeing this paper in Cell, https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)01384-3?dgcid=raven_jbs_aip_email.
So wouldn’t it be great Dr.McCormick if the ultra rich CEOs of the world actually thought of (at least) their own health and started making it illegal( oh my god) to produce plastic water bottles!
I see people cart huge amounts of bottled water out of Costco thinking this is safe for everyone. Or just plain “ not thinking period”!
My my how can sane people keep putting up with the governments built to take advantage of everyone by not hearing anyone?
I am sad! I remember public drinking fountains in our public buildings and in our parks and schools. I even remember drinking clear crystal water out of streams in Idaho as a young person. I can be crude and say, well I am old so I don’t have to care.... but I do, I care about every living animal on this “used to be “incredible planet . And I abhor the ugly ,stupid, race to diminish our intelligence and our compassion . Shame is spelled with a dollar sign!$hame $hame, $hame!!!😱🥹
"CEO" been making billions with bottled water. Check out Nestle. https://youtu.be/CPIEaM0on70
More sadness ! Until we all demand that we not get poisoned by the overly wealthy..... this is our planet! Make them pay rent...
And here I am scratching out beer money by typing hopefully helpful ideas...
Speaking of which, anyone want to buy some "Examined" brand water? It will be sourced from the tap in my examining room, but in glass bottles instead. A case starts at $25.
Ha.
Need something catchy slogan like "From the exam table comes "Examined" water, bottled at the source. Comes in glass containers that you can hang and enjoy. https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.y2RwqyJeXbA6j8a6xB7W4QHaHC&pid=Api&P=0&h=180
Side effects may include nausea, shooting diarrhea, nausea, headaches, vomiting, dry mouth and death. If you experience any of the symptoms, tell your doctor.
Hilarious! Thanks for the laugh as I go to bed. Will think about the potential conflict of interest in the morning...
Hi Jean - I think this stump speech is ready for prime time :) It troubles me so greatly that people of all political persuasions can't come to a reasonable consensus on environmental issues, which are going to be the undoing of our collective health, wellbeing, and potentially all of civilization. One side is so incredibly hostile, drill baby, drill. Like the movie Don't Look Up, it doesn't end well for anyone, CEO's included.
Yes, Dr.McCormick,
Way over due. Telling the truth should not be a terror tactic. It should relax people and help us move forward. 🌈🦋🙏🏻😇
We avoid plastic water bottles, even the water in our car is in repurposed glass bottles. One thing we do to reduce plastic is buy our shampoo/conditioner in bar form and we use laundry detergent/fabric softener sheets from TruEarth(http/www.tru.earth)They have many plastic free products. We just started using their toilet bowl cleaner sheets and they work great also.
That's a great start, and makes difference in your own life, and supporting good companies with your dollars is as good as charity donations in my opinion.
I use a shampoo bar and a soap bar, too! I like these, which are now available at Whole Foods (but larger variety Chagrin Valley website):
https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/
https://jrliggett.com/shampoo-bars/
Worth a Quick Boost post?
I’ve switched to a shampoo bar, too, and I love it. I’ve replaced a lot of the plastic stuff in my house with products from Life Without Plastic (lifewithoutplastic.com) made of stainless steel, glass, bamboo, hemp. Durable and beautiful. I wish more stores would move away from plastic and styrofoam packaging. Most of the plastics in my recycling bin are those plastic clamshells.
Thank you for sharing your choice in reverse osmosis purifiers. After reading about this study this week I began to look at filtering my water beyond the carbon filter in our refrigerator. Also the study didn't talk about other plastic bottles like those used for gallon water bottles (the same kind used for milk) or reusable plastic water bottles (BPA free) or foods packaged in plastic like mustard, orange juice and almost everything at the grocery store. I assume it's not good.
Hi Charlene - I think the carbon filters are better than nothing, but I do think reverse osmosis is an order of magnitude better. More expensive, but when compared to what people spend on water bottles, usually cheaper within a year. Installing an RO filtration system in our house seemed too fussy and wasteful, so I just like this countertop one for drinking water.
And yes, nanoplastics are ubiquitous, so we can only reduce exposure but not avoid. Sigh, among many sighs these days.
Thank you for this excellent exposition of the problem with microplastics. At 86 I have probably absorbed my fill of them, and part of me says, “Well, you’re holding the short end of the string, why bother!” The other part of me, the human being that is still part of this planet says, “Every vote counts!!! Do your bit, no matter how small!” We search for easy solutions to everyday life issues. For example, I keep a box of plastic water bottles by the back door so that my gardener or my housekeepers will be encouraged to drink while they work, or I can offer water to a delivery person, especially in the heat of summer. It is also handy to grab a water bottle to take in the car, rather than making the effort of finding the glass water bottle, returning to the water filter, filling it, and then leaving on my errand. We look for ways to make things simple, speedy, and yet here are the “invisible” negatives of handing out life-enhancing water in plastic bottles. I guess it is always about the “battle” choices we make. (My internist always wants to know how much alcohol I drink. I love my wine! My accommodation: 1 x 3 oz glass maybe 4 times a week at most, unless dining out with friends, maybe once a month). I have indeed bought my own glass/metal water bottles and I am using them. Water is life! It is not “free”. It should not be poisoned. I have been using a Berkey water filter in the kitchen now for some years, and as I write this, and listen to myself, perhaps I need to put one by the back door in place of the box of plastic bottles? Hmmm?!!!
(Then, of course, there is the Texas approach: take your choice: get sick from overheating or microplastics..…no “legal” water breaks for construction workers, although I bet they will be encouraged to take their “microplastic” water bottles up the ladder! )
Hi Mary, and thank you so much for sharing this comment. I think it crystallizes a lot of the tradeoffs between convenience and burden, ubiquity of the problem vs. fighting each small battle. It is much worse to be dehydrated in Texas working outside, so by all means offer and drink bottled water in those situations when alternatives are not easy. But I agree that at any age we should keep playing the environmentally conscious game for the planet, ourselves, and younger generations.
I try to favor glass and paper packaging whenever possible, but our recycling bins are full of plastic each week anyway. Some federal and world leadership on this is so needed, so that playing fields are leveled and guardrails established, otherwise companies will naturally use the cheapest plastic containers to stay competitive and profitable, right? It's too late to reverse the Plasticene, but taking our foot off the pedal would be nice.
Cheers to the wine in moderation if you enjoy it! And boxed wine (lined with plastic of course) is not very good anyway ;)
“Boxed wine!!!” Now this IS where I truly am too “old school”!!! :)
The study was an eye-opening exploration of what the new imaging can do, just a beginning really. It's interesting/unsettling that the 7 polymers they examined were a fraction of the overall 'stuff' in the water, and that some of the plastic is not the material that bottles and caps are made of. Some of the nanoplastic is "most likely introduced before or during water production," possibly part of the water treatment or filtration processes. Yikes!
I appreciate you pointing out that beyond our individual choices, we need to foster environmental policies that protect the health of people and planet. Thank you.
The researchers mention that RO systems in the bottling industry are often made of PA membrane - one of the nanoplastics they cataloged. They're talking about industrial applications. I don't begin to know how this might impact home filtration.
Exactly. I think fluid dynamics/pressures would be much stronger in industrial applications and prone to small particle production...
Hi Dar - I totally agree, and you read the granular details i can see. I wanted to get into that as well, but the word count started ticking upwards so I just included the links. The other 90% of stuff is curious, and I'm sure there is much junk to discover there as well. The Earth has been recycling the same water molecules for billions of years, so hard to find pure water outside of fractional distillation! I'm hoping the nanoplastics potentially introduced before/during water production are from large scale industrial processes, and not found in the little RO countertop system I use, but alas. I'm also eating shrimp and mussels, and all the plastic that is in their bellies/bodies. What a sad mess we've made of the world. I blame The Graduate ;)
Thank you, Ryan. I think I am going to take a nap! There is so much information running through my head right now. And now you have added more. Have a great weekend and get some rest!
Thanks for stopping in before your nap Sharon! I am fading here, too. Out to shovel some snow and then an early-ish bedtime for a change. Have a great weekend, too!
Hugs
Thom Hartmann just wrote this:
https://open.substack.com/pub/thomhartmann/p/microplastics-like-asbestos-can-kill-4b9?r=17d5s&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Thank Mim - I saw this actually, and I'm just learning more about Thom Hartmann. I think this piece needs to be toned down a bit, but I like the underlying bones. If I have time I'll write a footnoted response to it.
I drink lots of water but not bottled water. I've been using Brita for years and use a coffee insulated thermos to bring with me when I'm on the road. Keeps my water cold which I like.
Many, many years ago, our water company started putting a lot of chlorine into our water supply which I could smell taking a shower. I don't remember the reason why they did that but it was when I started drinking bottled water before switching to Brita.
Last summer I was able to take a tour of our water treatment center which was so informative and interesting. One of the questions asked was about plastic particles in our water. The tour guide commented that it is something that continues to be tested and worked on but still looking for solutions to make our water more pure. The tour made me more comfortable about the safety of the water I drink but still like the taste of water from my Brita jug.
The water in Philly can definitely smell chlorinated, and after using a filter (on fridge) and the RO system, it tastes pretty chemical by comparison. I do respect the miracle of potable water from a tap you can just open from the sink, nonetheless. Pretty cool to see the treatment center engineering and chemistry I would agree.
Ugh! I have objected, loudly, to bottled water from the very beginning!! When I worked in a highschool I would see so many students carrying them around and it would drive me batty!! Slowly, slowly I noticed a change (and my long rants would be met with more agreement). It takes a long time for "cool" but "bad-for-the-environment" things to actually be recognized for what they are. Unfortunately by that time everyone has adjusted to the convenience of whatever it is - disposable water bottles, plastic bags, overly packaged goods, and on and on. Thank you for continuing to educate us all a little bit more, or a lot more! I have to believe that every little bit helps, in terms of education, what we do
as individuals, what policies we support, etc.
That's so great that you have been ahead of the curve on this! I think a lot of students use reusable water bottles now, but I was shocked and appalled to read the stat about water bottle consumption doubling between 2004 and now. Likely from all the branding of "Dasani" and "Vitamin Water" and whatever else is out there I try not to consider.
The amount of plastic in my life is still insane, and I am one of the more conscious consumers. It's why we need laws and regulations to establish a fair playing field, so that producers are not forced to use the cheapest plastic stuff to compete with each other.
*Sigh*
Every little bit does add up, so I'll keep trying with you ;)
Microplastics now causing problems in most life forms - 100's of studies
Vitamin D may reduce the microplastic problems
https://vitamindwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page_id=10858
https://hlahore.substack.com
It really is a top to bottom food chain, circle of life problem. It might be as significant a problem as the change in climate. I don't see any end in sight. We individuals are left to find small hacks, but the problem is so ubiquitous. *Sigh*