研究者Sarah Sajedi（加拿大康考迪亚大学博士生）回顾超过140篇论文，估算人们每年从食物与饮水平均摄入约39,000–52,000个微塑胶颗粒；若每天饮用瓶装水，则会在此基础上「额外」再摄入近90,000个颗粒。她主张瓶装水可作紧急用途，但不应成为日常依赖，并呼吁评估慢性风险。

文中将微塑胶定义为1微米（1/1,000毫米）到5毫米的塑胶粒；奈米塑胶更小，小于1微米。瓶子在制造、储存、运输与分解过程会持续产生颗粒，低品质塑胶在日照、温差与摩擦下更易释放；与经食物链进入不同，瓶装水相关颗粒是直接被饮入。

作者指出这些微粒可能进入血液并到达器官，与慢性发炎、氧化压力、内分泌干扰、生殖与神经损伤、以及癌症风险等关联被讨论，但长期影响仍不清楚，部分原因是缺乏标准化测量与昂贵仪器限制。各国减塑法规多聚焦塑胶袋、吸管与包材，对塑胶瓶规范较少；美加部分地区有动作，但全球框架仍在起步阶段。

A doctoral researcher at Concordia University, Sarah Sajedi, reviewed 140+ papers and estimated that people ingest about 39,000–52,000 microplastic particles per year from food and drinking water. Those who drink bottled water daily ingest nearly 90,000 additional particles annually, indicating a large exposure gap tied to routine bottle use rather than occasional emergencies.

The article defines microplastics as 1 micrometer (1/1,000 of a millimeter) to 5 mm, and nanoplastics as smaller than 1 micrometer. Particles are generated during bottle manufacturing, storage, transport, and breakdown; low-quality plastics shed more under sunlight, temperature swings, and handling. Unlike food-chain exposure, bottle-derived particles are consumed directly with drinking water.

It notes that microscopic plastics may enter the bloodstream and reach organs, with reported links to chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, hormonal disruption, reproductive and nervous-system harm, and cancers, yet long-term effects remain uncertain due to limited testing, nonstandard methods, and expensive instruments. While many policies target bags, straws, and packaging, plastic bottles face comparatively little regulation; some US and Canadian regions are acting, but a global framework is still early.