World Health: plastic particles in drinking water do not hurt

Geneva – Geneva

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated in Geneva that plastic particles in drinking water do not pose a major threat to health.

Most micro-plastics swallowed with drinking water leave the body again after going through the digestive system, said the WHO in a report summarizing the results of several scientific studies.

"We are in no way worried," said Bruce Gordon, FAO water expert, at a press conference before the report was released.

"We found that there was a significant margin of safety between the expected uptake of chemicals and levels that could be considered harmful," he said.

The organization called on countries to invest more in water treatment systems in general to eliminate harmful microbes that cause nearly half a million deaths per year from diarrhea. An estimated 2 billion people around the world are drinking contaminated water, she said.