Microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic debris, have become ubiquitous in our environment, lurking in everything from polar ice to bottled water. Now, scientists have discovered a disturbing new reality: the world of nanoplastics, even smaller plastic particles that pose potentially even greater risks. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has now revealed that a single litre of bottled water can contain an average of 240,000 detectable plastic fragments, a 10 to 100-fold increase over previous estimates based on microplastics alone. The growing plastic waste crisis This discovery comes amid alarming statistics on global plastic production. We churn out 400 million metric tons annually, with over 30 million tons dumped into the environment or embedded in everyday products. Unlike organic matter, plastics persist, endlessly dividing into ever-smaller particles, potentially reaching molecular levels. Microplastics range in size from 5 millimetres to 1 micrometre, while nanoplastics fall below that threshold. Previous studies on bottled water, sparked by a 2018 finding of 325 particles per litre, had already raised concerns. But good …