Microplastic in desalinated and seawater: Comparative assessment

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