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Microplastic in desalinated and seawater: Comparative assessment
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Researchers compared microplastic concentrations in desalinated water and seawater in the Canary Islands, where desalination supplies a significant portion of the drinking water. Microplastics were detected in both source seawater and desalinated water, with desalination providing partial but incomplete removal.
Microplastics are a growing environmental concern, particularly in light of their ability to enter the human food chain, raising alarms about food and water safety. Given the critical importance of water in isolated systems like the Canary Islands (Spain) were a good percentage of water is desalinated, rigorous monitoring is essential to ensure water quality and safety. While Royal Decree 03/2023 establishes a comprehensive framework for the quality and safety of drinking water in Spain, it does not currently specify maximum permissible levels for microplastics, though their monitoring is compulsory once suitable analytical methodologies are established [1]. This study investigated the presence of microplastics in seawater and desalinated water obtained from a portable reverse osmosis desalinated plant as well as the effectivity of such plant for microplastics removal. All samples were filtered through stainless-steel mesh filters and subsequently analyzed using a binocular stereomicroscope to identify and categorize microplastic types and sizes. A subset of the particles collected by the filters were analyzed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy to determine their composition [2]. References [1] Real Decreto 3/2023, de 10 de enero, por el que se establecen los criterios técnico-sanitarios de la calidad del agua de consumo, su control y suministro. [2] European Commission. Guidance on Monitoring of Marine Litter in European Seas. Publications Office of the European Union; 2023. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559700/document
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Microplastic in desalinated and seawater: Comparative assessment
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Researchers compared microplastic concentrations in desalinated and raw seawater in the Canary Islands, evaluating how well the desalination process reduces plastic particle contamination. Desalination removed a substantial fraction of microplastics but did not eliminate them entirely from drinking water.
Removal and reincorporation of microplastics at several stages of two seawater reverse osmosis plants that provide drinking water to Barcelona metropolitan area
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Researchers tested two seawater desalination plants that supply drinking water to Barcelona and found they remove over 90% of microplastics from seawater, making the treatment process highly effective. Interestingly, one late-stage treatment step (called remineralization, which adds minerals back into the water) actually introduced small amounts of new microplastics, a finding that suggests plants should routinely check water quality at this stage. The good news: even with this minor addition, drinking water from desalination plants is not a major source of microplastic exposure compared to things like bottled water or seafood.
Effects of Microplastics on Pre-treatment Process for Seawater Desalination
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Researchers examined the effects of microplastics on pre-treatment processes used in seawater desalination, investigating how microplastic contamination interferes with filtration and other preparatory steps essential to producing potable water from seawater.
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Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in bottled water and small semi-industrial desalination stations in a water-scarce region. The study found microplastics present in both water sources, with higher levels than expected in desalination station output, raising concerns about human exposure through drinking water and highlighting the need for improved filtration standards.
Occurrence and size distribution study of microplastics in household water from different cities in continental Spain and the Canary Islands
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Researchers sampled tap water from 24 locations across mainland Spain and the Canary Islands to measure microplastic contamination in household drinking water. They found an average of about 12.5 microplastic particles per cubic meter of tap water, with synthetic fibers being the most common type detected. The study provides one of the first standardized comparisons of drinking water microplastic levels across multiple cities within a single country.
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