The Microplastic Dilemma

Do you use bottled water or tap water?

In her review of over 140 scientific articles, Dr. Sarah Sajedi of Concordia University writes that individuals on average ingest between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles per year, and bottled water users consume 90,000 more particles than tap water consumers. The particles are usually invisible to the naked eye.

Not only are plastic bottles disastrous for us, plastic water bottles are highly damaging to our planet, contributing massively to landfill overflow, ocean pollution, and microplastic contamination, harming wildlife and potentially human health, while their production consumes fossil fuels and emits significant greenhouse gases, making them an unnecessary environmental burden given access to safe tap water. Most plastic bottles (around 30% in Canada and 86% in the U.S.) become trash, taking centuries to decompose and leaching chemicals, posing severe threats to ecosystems.

Chemicals like antimony and endocrine disruptors (which mimic hormones) can leach from PET plastic bottles into the water.

These plastics and chemicals are linked to inflammation, immune issues, reproductive problems, and potential links to cancer and heart issues, though more human research is needed.

While tap water is generally safer and much cheaper with fewer microplastics, bottled water poses risks from significantly higher microplastic loads (nanoplastics) shed from the bottle itself, plus potential hormone-disrupting chemicals like phthalates, though tap water can also contain chemicals, so filtration is key to getting the best of both worlds. The consensus leans towards tap water being better, but using a good filter (like reverse osmosis) and choosing glass or other reusable bottles over single-use plastic bottles is the safest bet to minimize exposure to both plastic pollutants and tap water contaminants.