A pioneer study by researchers into the effect of micro plastics in water on humans, says the substance passes through the body and does not get absorbed.
A report by the World Health Organisation says more studies are needed, as the research methodology used in the study was weak. It said the findings were based on “limited information,” as more research is needed.
“To say one source of water has 1000 micro particles per litre and another has only one, could simply be dependent on the filter size used,” explained Dr. Bruce Gordon of the World Health Organisation to the BBC. “We’re basically at a point where the study methods were quite weak.”
DR Gordon, however, said drinking water suppliers and regulators should remain focused on eliminating ‘known risks.’ He said people still drink feces contaminated water and that should be the emphasis.
“Two billion people drink water that is faecally contaminated,” said Dr. Gordon. “And that causes one million deaths a year. That has got to be the focus.” A co-author of the report, Jennifer De France, told the BBC that there are data gaps that need to be filled in to the subject matter.
“We need to know the number of particles that have been detected, the size of these particles, the shapes, as well as the chemical composition,” she told the BBC. The WHO still advises that the use of plastics be limited and more recyclable content should be adopted in packaging.
In 2017, a report by the United Nations Children Fund, found that 66m Nigerians were said to be exposed to contaminated water. In a recent report, UNICEF maintained that the country is one of the top places where open defecation is practiced. This act continues to contaminate water supply, making the WHO report on focusing on the ‘known risks,’ very essential to the Nigerian state.
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