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Occurrence and identification of microplastics in tap water from China
Summary
Researchers analyzed 38 tap water samples from cities across China and found microplastics in all of them, with concentrations averaging around 440 particles per liter. Most particles were smaller than 50 micrometers, and the dominant types were polyethylene and polypropylene fragments. The findings highlight that drinking water treatment plants face a significant challenge in addressing microplastic contamination in the water supply.
Microplastics as new emerging pollutants in aquatic environments have received much attention in recent years. However, up to now, microplastic contamination in tap water has only been investigated by few studies. Therefore, this study investigated the presence of microplastics in tap water. 38 tap water samples were taken at different cities of China. The amount of microplastics in tap water varied from 440 ± 275 particles L. Particles smaller than 50 μm significantly predominated in most of the tap water samples. Further, according to the shape of these particles, fragments, fibers and spheres were found in tap water samples, while fragments were the most abundant morphotype in most samples. Despite these particles were identified as 14 different materials by micro-Raman spectroscopy, the majority of the microplastics comprised of polyethylene and polypropylene. Based on this investigation, drinking water treatment plants seemingly have to face the problem of microplastic pollution in tap water due to their potential eco-toxicological effects on humans.