Study on the presence of microplastics In bottled drinking water using Nile red and Its impact on human health

Abstract

Microplastics have emerged as ubiquitous in the environment as a pervasive global concern, alarming to the environment, agriculture, marine ecology, living organisms and human health. Several experimental studies reported microplastics have been comprehensively detected in environmental elements such as ocean, rivers, air, soils everywhere even within drinks and foods. However, packaged plastic water bottles caused microplastic pollution in drinking water in developed countries like Bangladesh, due to restricted information. Defined as minute plastic fragments ranging from 1.5 μm to 5 μm, microplastics pose a potential threat to human health. Initial investigations suggest their existence in bottled water and beverages, with these indigestible particles persisting in the human gut and circulating in the bloodstream, potentially reaching the brain. The chemical composition of microplastics raises concerns about their toxic effects on cells. This study aims to scrutinize the prevalence of microplastics in packaged water nationally and internationally, encompassing mineral water commonly consumed in daily life. The focus is on Polyethylene tetrata identified as targeted microplastic categories. Fluorescence microscopy and FTIR are employed to detect and analyze microplastic characteristics such as size and shape. Preliminary findings from 36 water bottle samples exhibit prominent 36% bead-like structures and 33% fibers and 20% fragments under microscopic analysis. Subsequent research will delve into the toxicity of microplastics on human health. So far, 36 samples of plastic bottled water have been used to detect the presence of microplastic. Therefore, comprehensively, amount of MPP on average using NR dye in acetone solution is 10 μg/ml per sample is (23.17± 7.04) items/filter and the MPP on the average using NR dye in acetone solution is 20 μg/ml per sample is (33.33± 10.4) items/filter through fluorescence microscopic analysis. Moreover, the average MPP in an optical Microscope is (20.42 ±7.63) items/filter through optical microscopy analysis. MP polymers PET is characterized through the FT-IR spectroscopy method. Therefore, there are on average (69±11) items/litter observed which are in size <1 mm and there are on average (99±11) observed particles which are less than 1mm. The significant difference (p<<0.05) shown in between the shapes and the sizes. The estimation of dietary intake of mp for an adult is 2 particles per liter daily, translating 730 in annually identified through survey report. The ultimate goal is to ascertain the number, type, and size of microplastic particles in plastic bottles, providing insights into the annual microplastic intake by the Bangladeshi population through beverage consumption.