Researchers have developed a powerful imaging technique that can detect thousands of tiny plastic particles in single-use bottles, shedding light on the presence and impact of nanoplastics. These microscopic plastics, smaller than 1 μm, are widespread but poorly understood. The study found that a liter of bottled water contains around 240,000 plastic pieces, with 90% being nanoplastics. Surprisingly, the water tested had particles of all seven common plastic types, including polyamide and PET. This new technique, using stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, will advance our understanding of human exposure to nanoplastics and help researchers analyze environmental samples.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/plastic-particles-bottled-water