Microplastics Pollute Tap Water

Plastic pollutes everything. If you recently became aware of the discovery of microscopic plastic residues in common salt, beer or honey, now it is time to talk about tap water.

Microplastics in tap water around the world

Recent research has found that up to 83% of samples collected worldwide are contaminated with plastic fibers.

United States in the lead

The study has been carried out by environmental researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (United States) together with the Orb Media organization in more than a dozen countries. They have managed to collect 150 water samples from different cities and have found that, on average, a 500 ml jug of tap water contains four small plastic fibers.

The country with the highest number of contaminated samples is the United States. Microplastics have been found there in 94% of the analyzes. The water was collected in emblematic places such as the Congress buildings, the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency or the Trump Tower in New York.

Other countries with a high percentage have been Lebanon (94%), India (82%), Uganda (81), Indonesia (76%) and Ecuador (75%).

Europe is not saved

Europe would be behind these places, with a somewhat lower rate of contamination, which represents contamination by plastics in 72% of the European samples analyzed.

Although the study has not yet been published and more percentages have not been released, it is known that some of the European countries analyzed have been the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

Regarding the average number of plastic fibers found in each 500 ml sample, it varied notably from one country to another, from 4.8 in the United States to 1.9 in Europe.

Drinking water with microplastics, a serious health problem?

Orb Media has filtered out particles over 2.5 microns in size, which are 2,500 times larger than a nanometer. So, according to some experts, the problem can be especially serious because, in addition to those found, there could be much smaller plastic particles that, measuring only a few nanometers, could penetrate cells and, therefore, damage organs.

On the other hand, it is possible that plastics contain chemicals or pathogens dangerous to health. Research with wild animals shows that microplastics contain toxic chemicals that are released into the body.

Scientists have thoroughly studied the problem of plastic in oceans and lakes, and they have a lot of data on its negative effect on wildlife. Now the big question is how it affects human life.

According to Dr. Sherri Mason, a microplastics expert at the State University of New York and supervisor of this study: “If it’s impacting wildlife, then how is it not going to affect us humans in some way?”

How tap water gets contaminated

It is not known with certainty how these microplastics reach the drinking water of homes, but we do know that the daily wear and tear of clothing and other articles with fibers from petroleum – such as rugs or sofas – releases particles that remain suspended in the air; then, with the rain, they end up seeping into the subsoil, aquifers and freshwater wells.

On the other hand, synthetic clothing (such as polar linings), with the movement of the drums of washing machines and dryers, releases tiny fibers that end up in the drains. A study by the University of Plymouth (Great Britain) showed that synthetic textiles such as acrylic release up to 700,000 fibers into the environment with each wash cycle.