A recent #study revealed that #people ingest hundreds of thousands of microscopic #plastic particles when consuming a liter of bottled #water. The research, conducted by researchers at #Columbia and #Rutgers universities, highlights the prevalence of 'nanoplastics' — which measure less than one micrometer — in bottled water. The study, published on January 8, found nanoplastics to be more commonly found in bottled water than larger #microplastics, comprising approx 240,000 particles per liter on average. One of the study's authors, Columbia #chemistry professor Wei Min, expressed the view to the Washington Post that nanoplastics could also pose a greater threat to human #health than microplastics. For several years, #scientists have been investigating microplastics — pieces ranging from one micrometer to half a centimeter in length — but this study sheds new light on the extent to which nanoplastics could be hazardous. The study's findings offer a 'starting point' for examining the health impacts of these tiny pieces of plastic, according to Penn State Behrend professor Sherri Mason, who was not involved in the research. Mason emphasized the widespread presence of invisible plastics in the #environment, telling the Washington Post, 'We know at this point that our skin is constantly shedding. And this is what these plastic items are doing — they’re just constantly shedding.'