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Bits of plastic are in our drinking water, but the World Health Organization is 'not alarmed'

Doctors still want more research to paint a more complete picture of the effects on the human body.

TAMPA, Fla. — The World Health Organization says plastic particles in our drinking water don't currently pose significant health risks because most pass through the body without being absorbed, BBC News reports.

There's one catch: The findings are reportedly based on "limited information," and health experts want more research to confirm them.

CBS News says the 124-page report from the WHO is the first major international study looking into the possible effects microplastics in drinking water could have on humans.

As the news network explains, the adult body contains about 60 percent water and needs to be replenished with two to three quarts per day. But, when water or food is packaged in plastic, CBS News explains waste gets into the environment and people end up with plastic inside their bodies.

WHO launched the study last year after reports of tiny plastic particles in bottled water. Researchers concluded plastic particle counts are slightly higher in bottles of water than in tap water.

"We are not alarmed," WHO Technical Officer Jennifer de France told CBS News. "With the data that we have, we can say that we believe the risk to be low, but at the same time, we can't rule out conclusively that there might never be a risk in the future." 

That's why health experts want to study the issue further. A medical professor who spoke with CBS raised concerns about possible effects on the gastrointestinal tract. At this point, such questions remain unanswered.

Earlier this year, our sister-station WWL reported on how humans could be ingesting 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles a year. And, that doesn't include the estimates of the microplastic in the air we could be inhaling. That could be more than another 74,000 particles.  

Worldwide plastic production is expected to double by 2025 and triple by 2050.

RELATED: Bring your own bottle: This major US airport just banned plastic water bottles

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