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Do membrane filtration systems in drinking water treatment plants release nano/microplastics?
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Analysis of membrane filtration systems in drinking water treatment plants found that physical cleaning, chemical exposure, aging, and mechanical wear can all cause membranes to release nano/microplastics into the treated water supply — identifying treatment infrastructure itself as a potential source of plastic contamination.
Drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) are thought to be able to remove many micropollutants including nanoplastics (NPs) and microplastics (MPs). However, few studies have focused on the water treatment process itself producing NPs and/or MPs. This paper discussed the possibility of releasing NPs and MPs from organic membranes in drinking water treatment plants. The effects of physical cleaning, chemical agents, mechanical stress, aging, and wear on the possibility of membrane breach during long-term use were analyzed. Further analysis based on membrane aging mechanisms and material properties revealed that the membrane filtration systems could release NPs/MPs to drinking water supply networks. Although the toxicity of membrane materials to human body needs further study, the action that should be taken to treat the release of NPs/MPs in DWTPs cannot be ignored: (1) in-depth study of the generation and release mechanisms of NPs/MPs; (2) reconsideration of membrane life cycle design; (3) determination of NPs/MPs concentration limits in drinking water through toxicity assessment; (4) accelerating development of biomembrane and inorganic membrane materials; and (5) unification of NPs/MPs sampling and testing standard. Accordingly, more research needs to be conducted to investigate the release of NPs and/or MPs from DWTPs.
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Researchers tracked microplastics through an entire drinking water system, from the source water to household taps, and found that treatment plants actually increased microplastic counts rather than removing them. The treated water contained 12 to 25 particles per liter, with most being tiny fragments under 100 micrometers made of common plastics like PET and PVC. This suggests that current water treatment infrastructure may be shedding microplastics from its own pipes and filters into the water people drink.
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