bottled water

The report found plastic in water from 242 of the 259 samples

Tests revealing plastic in “brand after brand” of bottled water have triggered a review by the World Health Organisation.

Scientists examined more than 250 bottles from nine countries, and reported finding plastic in 242 of the 259 samples.

Losing its bottle? Bottled water category report 2018

WHO’s investigation, the largest of its kind, will look at why so many bottled waters contained small plastic particles, and the impact of microplastic water contamination on consumers’ health and the environment.

The tests were carried out at the State University of New York in Fredonia in a project commissioned by US journalism organisation Orb Media.

Sherri Mason, a professor of chemistry at the university, called the results “concerning”. She said the evaluation was not about “pointing fingers at particular brands,” but that “plastic has become such a pervasive material in our society, and it’s pervading water”.