Microplastics in Water: An Emerging Contaminant
Tiny plastic particles are turning up in tap and bottled water worldwide. Science on health effects is young, but regulators are starting to act.
Microplastics — fragments smaller than five millimeters shed from packaging, textiles, tires, and degrading litter — are now found nearly everywhere, including in drinking water, rainfall, and human tissue.
The health implications are still being studied, but the ubiquity has prompted action: California became the first jurisdiction to require monitoring of microplastics in drinking water, a likely precursor to broader standards.
Advanced treatment processes used in water reuse — especially membrane filtration and reverse osmosis — are highly effective at removing microplastics, another point in favor of purification infrastructure.
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