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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 system for tracking freshwater quality doesn't test for microplastics or nanoplastics at all, so we have huge blind spots in understanding how much of this contamination is in the water many of us drink. This paper argues that existing microplastics studies are too scattered and short-term (often just quick snapshots) to give a real global picture, and proposes a large-scale testing approach called EcoExposure™ to help fill that gap. Better, more consistent monitoring matters because it's a necessary first step toward understanding our actual exposure to these particles and what risks, if any, they pose to our health.
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.