Method development and optimization for assessing microplastic distribution in a drinking water treatment plant: insights into seasonal variation and spatial dissemination from an Italian study.

Microplastic (MPs) pollution has become an important issue over the years due to its potential environmental and human health implications. The chemical-physical properties and the shelf-life of plastic material have encouraged their widespread utilization in different industrial sectors, consequently leading to their ubiquitous distribution in different environmental matrices. Marine ecosystems are widely affected by MPs presence, but water sources are likewise impacted by MPs contamination which poses concurrent threats to environmental integrity, biodiversity, and human health. Indeed, the spread of MPs in surface and groundwater could contaminate water intended for human consumption along the different phases of the water supply system reaching the consumers. In accordance with European Directive 2184/2020, transposed by Legislative Decree 18/2023 in Italy, the development of analytical methodologies for quali-quantitative analysis of MPs in aqueous matrices is necessary to ensure water quality; this aspect is crucial to evaluate potential consumer exposure and implementing measures to prevent and/or reduce the risks associated with MPs consumption. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for MPs detection using Raman Microspectroscopy in aqueous samples. In addition to optimizing operational parameters, efforts were directed towards evaluating the method's efficacy in terms of efficiency, time and cost considerations. Repeatability and reproducibility studies were conducted using three certified reference materials, each comprising polyethylene particles of different sizes, to validate the method and ensure reliable and comparable data. Subsequently the validated method was applied to a pilot investigation involving the analysis of water samples obtained from the inlet and outlet of a drinking water plant. The study aimed to assess both whether environmental factors as seasonal variability could influence the MPs level and their potential implication for public health. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/558891/document