Water is essential to sustain life; our bodies need it more than anything else, and it’s the most important component of nutrition. It plays a vital role in all our bodily functions, from digestion through to transport of nutrients, and according to the NHS, you should drink 6-8 glasses of fluids daily to stay adequately hydrated. Although we know how much water you should drink a day can be dependent on your age, weight, climate, and other lifestyle factors.
As water plays such a big part in our lives, it’s crucial to choose a safe water supply that provides you with the healthy minerals your body needs without potentially damaging your health by containing contaminants that can be harmful over time. With many of us turning to water in plastic bottles for taste and convenience reasons, the health impact of ingesting potentially harmful microplastics in our water is often overlooked.
Are plastic water bottles really that bad?
The bottled water industry has an increasingly poor reputation. In the media, there has been anything from links with cancer through to scandals over sourcing. Not only that, but plastic water bottles are incredibly damaging for our environment, with manufacturing using an excess of energy and resources and the disposal of plastic having a significant impact on the planet.
Many plastic water bottles also contain Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This is the smooth, transparent, and relatively thin plastic that is widely used for single-use bottles and isn’t designed for reuse. If disposable water bottles are used repeatedly, an increased amount of chemicals and toxins seep out from the plastic into the water, and if ingested, this can lead to the accumulation of harmful substances in your bloodstream, potentially resulting in severe health issues. In addition, any scratches, chips, or dents in the soft plastic can create favorable conditions for bacteria to thrive, and the shape of various bottle designs is harder to clean effectively. Meaning that when you buy a plastic water bottle off the shelf, it really is a single-use circumstance forcing it to go into landfill.
| Did you know? A single plastic water bottle can take up about 450 years to decompose, though some estimates range up to 1,000 years |
Is it unhealthy to drink out of a plastic bottle?
Health scares relating to plastic have gained significant public attention in the media (such as the Netflix ‘Plastic Detox’ documentary) with a focus on increasing toxic load on bodies because of chemicals leaking from plastic, such as BPA and phthalates.
Improper storage of bottled water can harm consumers with high temperatures, causing the release of antimony from PET plastics—a regulated contaminant that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even chronic health effects in drinking water. Researchers have also found that the longer water is stored in plastic bottles, the higher the concentration of antimony.
Microplastics are also a key issue, especially with consumables that are stored in plastic containers, including bottled drinks. So, whilst drinking water is healthy, the conditions in which the water is stored and consumed may not be ideal. Research has shown that, on average, a litre of bottled water included about 240,000 tiny pieces of plastic. Read more here: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/plastic-particles-bottled-water
What are microplastics and do they really matter?
Put simply, microplastics are tiny particles of plastic that are either intentionally added to a product (such as cosmetics) or a result of plastic breaking down over time or due to environmental factors.
Sadly, microplastics are everywhere, with an estimated 2.7 million tons of microplastics having seeped into the environment in 2020, with the total potentially doubled by 2040.
According to UPMC, a 2024 study reported an average of 240,000 plastic particles per litre of bottled water, with nanoplastics making up 90% of the total. A 2025 study reported that bottled water drinkers ingest up to 90,000 more micro- and nanoplastics each year than tap water drinkers, and simply opening and closing the cap or squeezing a plastic bottle can release these tiny plastic fragments into the water.
Should I stop using plastic water bottles?
If your body absorbs microplastics and chemicals, it can negatively impact your organs, cellular processes and bodily functions. Research is ongoing but plastic bottle concerns include health issues such as infertility, cancer, hormonal issues, diabetes and blood pressure. Children may be at greater risk as they’re still developing, so limiting exposure to chemicals such as BPA, PFAS, and microplastics should be at the top of your list when it comes to protecting you and your family’s health.
What is a safer alternative to drinking bottled water?
With many options available nowadays, it’s important to choose a solution that fits your lifestyle and promotes good health. Some tips to reduce your risk from contanimants and microplastics are:
- Do not reuse single-use plastic water bottles, recycle them
- Avoid exposure of plastic bottles to heat/sunlight
- Switch to safer water bottles, such as stainless steel, glass or a water filter bottle
- Wash reusable water bottles daily and replace them at signs of wear and tear
- Reduce risk of ingesting contaminants by using a water filter system
Addressing how you consume fluids can hugely benefit your health and lifestyle. Opting for filtered water isn’t just beneficial for your health but is also positive for the environment. Whether you simply switch from plastic to stainless steel or take greater measures for improving the quality of the water you put into your body, moving away from single-use plastic will give you greater peace of mind for your future health.
Ready to make the change to filtered water?
If you're ready to make the change from single-use plastic bottles for your water, to a sustainable and great-tasting option, Doulton water filters have a range of solutions available. And each of our ceramic filters is designed to reduce microplastics in every drop of your water.
Whether you choose a gravity water filter system or under sink filter system, Doulton water filters are highly effective at reducing common contaminants in tap water. Utilising ceramic, activated carbon, and, in some of our products, advanced filtering media, Doulton filters provide powerful protection from contaminants such as chlorine, heavy metals and microplastics. You can find out more about how our ceramic water filters work by clicking here.
