How bad are plastic bottles, really?

Microplastics have now been found in blood, breast milk, reproductive organs—and even our brains. Chemicals used to make single-use plastics, like BPA and antimony, have been linked to hormone disruption, developmental issues in children, and elevated blood pressure.

Globally, only about 9% of plastic waste is actually recycled. The other 91% often ends up polluting the very waterways we drink from or swirling in places like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, now estimated to be twice the size of Texas.

And yet, bottled water continues to be the most popular packaged beverage in the United States.

So... how bad are they, really? Let's dive in.

The latest research shows you could be ingesting about 240,000 plastic particles per liter of bottled water.

How is that possible?

Some of those particles are already in the water before it’s bottled. Others shed from the bottle itself over time.

Known as microplastics, these tiny, solid fragments of plastic have been detected in blood, brain tissue, heart tissue, liver, kidneys, lungs, breast milk, testes, arteries, and more.

In other words, they're everywhere.

Worse, early studies link microplastic exposure to:

• Higher risk of heart attack and stroke. They've been found in arterial plaque.

• Potential links to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Particles can cross the blood-brain barrier.

• Hormone disruption from plastic additives, like BPA and phthalates, which are both endocrine disruptors.

• Potential harm in fetuses (microplastics have been found in placental tissue).

• Gut damage and chronic inflammation.

• Kidney disease, colon cancer, as well as thyroid, adrenal, and reproductive hormone imbalances.

The science is still evolving, but the parallels to tobacco are impossible to ignore: widespread use, early industry reassurances, and mounting evidence of long-term harm.

Even if you could magically remove every microplastic particle from bottled water, you’d still have to worry about the chemicals the bottle is made from: like BPA, antimony, and phthalates.

These chemicals can slowly leach into your water, much like tea steeping in a cup.

What triggers chemical leaching?

• Heat – Whether from the dishwasher, a hot car, direct sun, or warm storage rooms, even short-term heat spikes can cause measurable increases in chemical migration.

• Time – The longer water sits in the bottle, the more compounds can leach—even at room temperature.

• Reuse & Wear – Repeated squeezing, scratching, or cracking increases surface area and speeds up leaching. Single-use bottles are especially prone to this when reused.

Now let's go deeper on the three most common concerns associated with leaching:

• Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic compound used to make plastic strong and clear. Once in the body, it can mimic estrogen and disrupt hormone function. That's why BPA has been linked to reproductive issues, developmental problems in children, elevated blood pressure, and potential increased risk of breast and prostate cancer.

• Antimony trioxide is a compound used to speed up the production of PET plastic (common in bottled water). The harmful metal has been linked to potential carcinogenic (cancer-causing) effects, as well as lung, heart, and stomach problems with long-term exposure.

• Phthalates are chemicals added to plastics to make them flexible. These chemicals can interfere with testosterone and other hormones, and have been linked to reduced fertility in men, developmental and behavioral problems in children, and certain cancers.

By the way, even aluminum bottles and cans are often lined with BPA-based resin. That means they can pose some of the very same health risks as single-use plastic.

Many "BPA-free" bottles are made with bisphenol S (BPS). Sadly, recent research suggests BPS is also an endocrine-disruptor. Studies link it to many of the same health concerns as BPA: hormone disruption, reproductive and fertility issues, and more.

This is what's called a "regrettable substitution" in toxicology.

A substitution is called 'regrettable' when it results in the same or even a higher level of risk because the chosen alternative has similar or even worse properties.

Unfortunately, that's likely the case here.

Producing PET bottled water requires up to 2,000× more energy than producing tap water. That could translate to up to 2,000x more climate pollution—because every step, from making the plastic to filling it, shipping it, and throwing it away, burns fossil fuels. Burning those fuels releases pollution and heat-trapping gases that drive climate change.

This creates a ripple effect of health risk, such as:

• Worsening air quality. Hotter conditions can worsen smog and can trigger asthma, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) flare-ups, and heart problems.

• More extreme heat waves can increase risk of heatstroke, dehydration, and other heat-related illnesses.

• Shifting disease patterns. Warmer weather can expand the range of mosquito- and tick-borne illnesses like West Nile, dengue, and Lyme disease.

• Food and water insecurity. Think higher drought risk, crop failures, and more frequent contamination events.

Once bottles hit a landfill, the problem keeps growing: As they slowly degrade over hundreds—even thousands—of years, they release methane and other greenhouse gases that can accelerate warming, and in turn, intensify all of the above health impacts.

Remember, roughly 91% of plastic waste isn’t recycled. Instead, it:

• Breaks down into microplastics that end up in seafood, salt, and even produce.

• Leaches harmful chemicals into soil and water sources.

• Releases greenhouse gases when exposed to direct sunlight.

The result?

First, limit your consumption of single-use plastics. Switching from bottled water to filtered tap water alone could instantly cut your microplastic intake by approximately 90%, while also limiting—or eliminating—chemical leaching.

Get started by upgrading to a reusable filtered water bottle made from eco-friendly materials.

We offer a variety of BPS/BPA-free stainless-steel and medical-grade Tritan® bottles designed to protect you from contaminants and leaching, all while eliminating the need for single-use plastic.

On top of that, our best-selling filtered water pitcher is:

• BPS/BPA-free

• Phthalate-free

• Free of estrogen and androgen activity

• Made from medical-grade Tritan® materials (no single-use plastic)

• Proven to protect you from up to 365+ dangerous contaminants, including microplastics

Click here to learn more about how our advanced filtration systems protect your health, your family, and your future in ways others simply can't.