Most mineral water bottles contain microplastics, according to a study by Agir pour l’environnement

Most bottles of mineral water contain microplastics, according to a study by the association Agir pour l’environnement published Thursday, July 21. The association had several bottles, of several different brands, analyzed by a specialized laboratory.

Among the nine bottles of mineral water analyzed, seven contain microplastics, according to the results of this study. The quantities of these particles are often small but highly variable. For example, a small bottle for children from the Vittel brand contains much more than the others. Conversely, there is none in the water in Volvic brand bottles.

“Contamination comes from the packaging, whether it’s the bottle, the cap or the capexplains Magali Ringoot, of the association Agir pour l’environnement. Plastic has no place in bottled water. The additives are subject to industrial secrecy so we don’t know exactly what chemical cocktail we are exposed to.”

Indeed, the plastic of the cap or the bottle can fragment into micro debris and spread in the water. According to Nathalie Gontard, packaging specialist at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Inrae), “Plastic degrades inexorably and it starts degrading even before we start consuming the water.”