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Analysis and Risks of Emerging Contaminants and Microplastics in Natural and Treated Waters and Human Health: A Critical Review
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This review pulls together current science on how researchers detect chemical pollutants and microplastics in our water supplies, and points out that our testing methods still aren't standardized enough to fully understand the risks. One key concern: microplastics may act like tiny rafts, carrying harmful chemicals and germs along with them into drinking water — meaning the real health risk could come from these combined "hitchhiker" effects, not just microplastics or chemicals alone. The takeaway isn't a new danger discovered, but a call for better, more consistent testing so scientists can accurately assess what's actually in our water and how it affects us.
Emerging contaminants (ECs) and microplastics (MPs) are increasingly detected in surface waters, wastewaters, and drinking water, often as complex mixtures, transformation products, and particle-associated burdens that challenge routine monitoring. This critical review examines current analytical strategies for the detection and characterization of both molecular and particulate emerging contaminants in aquatic systems, with particular emphasis on their relevance to environmental and human health risk assessment. For molecular ECs, targeted LC-MS/MS and GC-MS and GC-MS/MS approaches are evaluated alongside high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)-based suspect and non-target screening, retrospective data mining, and transformation-product elucidation. For MPs, particle-resolved vibrational spectroscopy including µ-FTIR and µ-Raman is critically assessed in comparison with complementary thermal analysis methods, such as pyrolysis-GC-MS and thermal extraction-desorption GC-MS (TED-GC-MS). Particular attention is given to the influence of sampling design, matrix-adapted sample preparation, analytical confidence, and method-dependent size and polymer coverage on data quality and interstudy comparability. The review further highlights the risks of ECs in relation to exposure pathways, mixture effects, and the potential carrier role of MPs for ECs, additives, and microorganisms. Finally, key priorities are identified for next-generation monitoring frameworks, including harmonized workflows, transparent confidence reporting, and stronger integration of analytical evidence with fate, exposure, and risk assessment.
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Analysis and Risks of Emerging Contaminants and Microplastics in Natural and Treated Waters and Human Health: A Critical Review
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Researchers critically reviewed analytical strategies for detecting both dissolved emerging contaminants and microplastic particles in water, evaluating LC-MS/MS, HRMS non-target screening, and vibrational spectroscopy methods, while highlighting how sampling design, matrix preparation, and size-detection limits still drive large discrepancies between studies.
Micro- and Nanoplastic Water Contamination: Comparative Review of Classical Analytical Methods and Advanced Sensors
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Tiny plastic particles in our water, small enough to carry other harmful chemicals and even drug-resistant germs, are hard to detect, and this review of 53 studies shows that testing methods are still catching up, especially for the smallest "nanoplastic" particles. Most research so far has used lab-created samples rather than real tap or river water, meaning we still don't have a clear, reliable picture of how much of this contamination is actually in the water we drink every day. Until testing methods improve and become standardized, regulators can't set firm safety limits, which matters because these particles may be more common in our water supply than current science can confirm.
Microplastics in Drinking Water: Assessing Occurrence and Potential Risks
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This review paper examines how widespread microplastics are in drinking water — from rivers and lakes to groundwater — and what health risks this contamination may pose. The authors call for urgent research into how microplastics move through water treatment systems and ultimately reach taps, emphasizing that current sampling and analytical methods are inconsistent, making it hard to compare studies or set safety thresholds. For people drinking tap or bottled water daily, understanding and regulating this exposure pathway is a pressing public health priority.
Evaluation of Potential Health Risks from Microplastics in Drinking Water
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This review assesses the potential human health risks of microplastics in drinking water, noting that while microplastics are widely detected, the health effects at typical exposure levels remain poorly understood. The authors call for improved risk assessment methods and drinking water monitoring standards.
Microplastics in drinking water: Addressing human health risks and removal strategies
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Tiny plastic particles are showing up in our drinking water, and this review of recent studies finds that standard water treatment often doesn't catch them—especially the smallest bits, called nanoplastics. These particles may carry harmful chemicals and have been linked to hormone disruption, digestive problems, and other health issues, with kids and pregnant women potentially at greater risk. While newer filtering technologies show promise, there's currently no global safety standard for how much plastic in your water is "too much," so experts are calling for better regulations and testing methods.
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