Fiji water accused of containing microplastics, company denies claims

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Environmental advocacy group the Plastic Pollution Coalition has filed a lawsuit against popular water company Fiji and its owner The Wonderful Company, accusing them of “false and deceptive marketing.” The suit also alleges that Fiji water contains microplastics and plastic chemicals.

The lawsuit was filed in the District of Columbia Superior Court Jan. 31, according to a news release posted online by the Coalition this week.

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Per the Coalition, Fiji water is promoted as “natural artesian water” that is “protected from external elements” and “untouched.” However, the group alleged that this is not the case and that such marketing is “in violation of the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act.”

The group cites an independent evaluation that found both microplastics and bisphenol-A (BPA) in Fiji’s bottled water products. The testing results were not made immediately available after the National Post sent a request to the Coalition.

A spokesperson for Fiji told the National Post in an emailed statement that the company denies the claims filed in the lawsuit.

“This is a frivolous lawsuit which exists only to ‘make an example’ out of a brand and distract resources. FIJI Water stands fully behind the quality of its product, which is sourced directly from a natural artesian aquifer in Fiji. FIJI Water does not use BPA bottles or caps, and only uses the highest quality polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin,” the statement said.

“We vehemently dispute the allegations against us, and will assert a vigorous defense against these claims. Simply put, FIJI Water is natural, sourced from nature, and any claim stating otherwise is ludicrous and should not be entertained.”

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Microplastics, smaller particles of plastic that break down over time, have been discovered in all parts of the human body, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers who published a 2024 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said that, on average, one litre of bottled water contained about 240,000 tiny pieces of plastic. They said health concerns have been raised about microplastics, but it is still unknown what harm they may cause.

Scientists said microplastics “are emerging as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease in preclinical studies” in another study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2024. Similarly, this study did not have direct, conclusive evidence showing the potential risk to humans.

Most recently, however, a study from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences found “alarmingly” high levels of microplastics in human brain tissue and “tissue from people who had been diagnosed with dementia had up to 10 times as much plastic in their brains as everyone else.”

The effects of the plastic chemical BPA are more well-documented. BPA is “added to plastics to increase their rigidity, are known to disrupt the human endocrine (hormone) systems, and have been identified as among the most concerning of the more than 16,000 chemicals that are added to plastics,” per the Coalition’s news release.

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The Mayo Clinic says that BPA has “health effects on the brain and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children” and can affect the behaviour of children. There is also a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to the clinic.

In addition, the lawsuit claimed that Fiji and the Wonderful Company, like all producers of plastic, “inherently” create plastic waste. The Coalition alleged that the companies claims about recycled materials are “misleading.”

“Plastics collected for recycling are most often sent to landfills or incinerators, or are shipped overseas, perpetuating plastic production and its resultant plastic pollution, and environmental injustices,” per the Coalition’s news release.

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