Microplastics swim in bottled water in France, study shows

PARIS

Most bottled water sold in France contains microplastics, according to a study published on Thursday by an environmental group.

An investigation by Agir pour l’environnement (Acting for the Environment) found particles of microplastics in nine brands of bottled water: Evian, Perrier, Vittel, Volvic, Carrefour, Cristaline, and Badoit, mainly from the products' packaging.

Laboratory tests of these bottles found polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate plastic via the cap and the bottle, the study said. The additives in the material of the plastic bottle also contribute to the microplastics, it added.

The study found that 78% of the test sample contained microplastics.

The most microplastics per liter -- ranging from 1 to 121 microparticles -- were found in the bottles of Vittel Kids 330 mL (11.2 fluid ounces) bottle, meant for children, the results disclosed.

Microplastics in bottled water cannot be banned or regulated as there is no common detection standard, the study said. Based on these results, Agir requested the government to ban plastic water bottles by 2027, enforce transparency standards on manufacturers to reveal the composition of the plastic bottle and provide safer alternatives to plastic.

Microplastics are microdebris of plastic, varying from 5 millimeters in size to particles 70 times smaller, known as nanoplastics.

France is the sixth largest consumer of bottled water in Europe, consuming 133 liters of bottled water per capita a year.