Is it true that there are bits of plastic in drinking water, specialty salts, or other foods and beverages? How concerned should I be?

This is becoming a bigger and bigger news story, thankfully! And once again, ConsumerLab gives so much evidence based, reliable information! After reading about several recent studies that found microplastics are crossing the blood-brain barrier and accumulating in our brains as well as other organs, I began surveying all the things we use at home that might be contributing—of course I began with all the supplement bottles I use daily—some glass with metal lids (whew) but most plastic with either screw-on or snap-cap lids. It would be most helpful if CL could test to find which generate the most particles! I haven’t used plastic food containers or plastic wrap in years and know not to microwave plastic packaging, but I have been using dish brushes with plastic bristles; dishwasher pods wrapped in plastic; stainless steel thermoses and insulated drinking cups with plastic screw caps; “waxed” floss and of course, toothbrushes with plastic bristles! After reading a comment above I checked my pepper grinder and sure enough, plastic inside. I took the plastic inserts out of my spices and put the supplements with the plastic snap-caps in old glass vitamin bottles. Ordered a dish brush with plant-based fiber bristles (hard to find!) and am trying a toothbrush as well. Switched to either CVS waxed in CL recommendation but I see Desert Essence uses beeswax to coat. Ordered several silicone bowl covers (there were lots of companies making them) as well as reusable and washable silicone wrap pieces that work like plastic wrap! I checked Environmental Working Group’s well-respected lists of products they “verify” as not containing a host of toxins and ordered cleaning products including dishsoap without plastic. Threw away my “nylon” cooking spoons! Now I know that nylon, acrylic, and polyester are all names for different kinds of . . plastic. Please help us, CL.

Eek! Looking at several spices from Trader Joe’s with the plastic grinder tops. I wonder if I'm grinding micro plastic bits into my healthy cooking.

If the microplastic particles found in olive oil do not seem to come from the plastic bottles, then I'd be curious to see what level of microplastic particles might be found in olive oil packaged in glass bottles. Sadly (frighteningly?), it's starting to look as if these particles are to be found everywhere now.

I can understand how sea salt (obtained from drying current sea water) could easily contain microplastics. However, since true Himalayan salt is mined from caves in the Himalayan mountain areas that have salt in them that was formed many thousands of years ago when those areas were in fact covered by sea water (but have not been connected with our modern sea water since the beginning of plastics being produced by modern manufacturing), I don't understand how or why those genuine Himalayan salts would be showing ANY CONTAMINATION WITH MICROPLASTICS, let alone high concentrations of those harmful microplastics. Please explain how this would be possible.

What a shame. We never know what we're consuming.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We, drink a lot of water and don't want it contaminated by something that can harm us..Let's all be Clean Water Advocates!

What about reusable water bottles with plastic drinking tops that you pop open to drink and then close? I have a glass water bottle with a plastic drinking top, HDPE Recycle code 2 and am wondering if it's safe to use.

What about plastic storage containers that we buy specifically for food storage? I'm thinking in particular about my round Glad® and Ziplock® containers--containers that I've used for years to store and re-heat casseroles and other food items. I would prefer glass, but it's too heavy, not to mention the problem of having to worry about breakage, either from mishandling, or from overfilling due to freezing.
I'm wondering if the repeated--dozens and dozens--of freezing/reheating cycles would not necessarily degrade the plastic surface to where it is releasing large amounts of microparticles. These are all polypropylene (recycle code 5.)
I notice a "short communication" just last month in the journal Science of The Total Environment, by Hwang, et al,, regarding polypropylene: "The accumulation of microplastic particles in humans has potential health risks such as cytotoxicity, hypersensitivity, unwanted immune response, and acute response like hemolysis. We investigated the cellular responses of secondary polypropylene microplastics (PP particles) of approximately ~20?µm and 25–200?µm in different condition and size to normal cells, immune cells, blood cells, and murine immune cells by cytokine analysis, ROS assay, polarization assay and proliferation assay. We found that PP particles showed low cytotoxicity effect in size and concentration manner, however, a high concentration, small sized, DMSO method of PP particles stimulated the immune system and enhanced potential hypersensitivity to PP particles."
Should I trash all of those things (saving a few, though, for storage of solids)?

Does this micro-plastics problem of re-use apply to hard plastic bottles, like Nalgene?

I'm concerned about the reusable plastic containers in Soda Stream and NutriBullet type products. They are intended to be used multiple times which I've always considered to be more environmentally friendly than single use plastic but is there a difference in the amount of particles??

This is unfortunate, but I'm glad that I am now aware of micro-plastics in drinking water.
I filter my own water at home and bring it to the gym, and hiking. I have been re-using plastic bottles, but it appears that is no longer safe. Stainless steel seems a bit heavy especially since I typically drink 1/2 gallon at the gym. How are other people transporting water on hikes and other physical activities?

As far as microplastics in beer, I think more people should be aware that when you buy beer in an aluminum can, you are buying beer in plastic. Aluminum cans have a plastic coating inside to protect the contents from reacting with the metal. That's not the only way for microplastics to get into your beer, but buying in glass vs a plastic-lined can is the one source of contamination you have any control over

How do we get clean, good for you, water? Is there an in home system?

Do water filters like Brita, Pur or the more expensive in-line ones do a good job of filtering out microplastics? I know the pitcher variety don't do much because there's not enough force being provided by gravity to get through a good filter, but the on-tap and in-line filters are much better if you have reasonable water pressure.

What is the best way to get drinking water? There is arsenic in well water, micro plastics in bottled water, and you certainly would not want to drink the water in So. Cal from the tap. I wonder about the filters in our Reverse Osmosis.. Recommend any filtration systems?

Does using a Pur filter help get rid of these plastics? Thank you

It would be useful to know if these microplastics can be filtered out using regular water filers like Brita

Is there less plastic in imported beers , generally? Disappointing that Gerolsteiner carbonated water from Germany was found to have a lot; the purity law invoked by German brewers to reassure consumers, is often found on the label of bottled beer.

Maldonado Sea Salt?

I wonder whether any of the consumer water filter pitchers -- like Pur or Britta -- remove any or even some of these microplastics.

Will filtering bottle water using something like a charcoal PUR filter remove the microplastics ?

I use Redmond salt. Any comments about this

Does anyone know if water filters help much or at all with microplastics in tap water?

I wonder about Celtic Salt, my favorite

Just last week I speculated that Himalayan Pink salt would be free from microplastics since it is mined from deposits. The contamination must occur during processing. Perhaps at this point the list of products without plastic is growing very short.