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Addressing the Microplastics / Nanoplastics Gap in UN Global Freshwater Quality (GEMStat)Monitoring: EcoExposureTM as an Option for Large-Scale Geographic Testing
Summary
Right now, the world's main freshwater quality monitoring system doesn't test for microplastics or nanoplastics at all, meaning tiny plastic particles could be building up in the water we drink without anyone tracking it consistently across countries. This paper argues for adding a standardized testing method (called EcoExposure™) so scientists can finally compare plastic pollution data globally instead of relying on scattered, one-off local studies that miss things like storm-driven spikes in contamination. Better tracking matters because it's the first step toward understanding how much plastic exposure we're actually getting through our water supply, and whether it poses a health risk
Global freshwater quality monitoring programmes, including UNEP GEMS/Water and its associated GEMStat archive, rely on core and recommended parameter sets that prioritise conventional physical, chemical, nutrient, metal, and microbial indicators. Microplastics and nanoplastics are absent from these lists and from the publicly available parameter catalogues that feed global assessments. This gap limits the ability to generate comparable, long-term data on an emerging contaminant class known for high spatial and temporal variability. Existing research studies further illustrate the problem: methodological heterogeneity across sampling and analytical approaches produces a patchwork of local observations rather than a coherent global picture, while most measurements derive from short campaigns that cannot capture storm-driven or seasonal dynamics.