Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Differences in the occurrence of microplastic at two technically diverse drinking water treatment plants within the same river catchment

Researchers compared microplastic occurrence in drinking water from two technically different treatment facilities, examining how treatment technology influences the presence and type of microplastics in finished drinking water. The two plants produced water with significantly different microplastic profiles, indicating that treatment technology is a key determinant of microplastic concentrations reaching consumers.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and fate of microplastics at two different drinking water treatment plants within a river catchment

Researchers investigated the occurrence and removal of microplastics at two drinking water treatment plants located on the same river in the Czech Republic. The study found that microplastics were present in raw water at both facilities and that treatment processes reduced but did not fully eliminate microplastic contamination, with removal efficiency varying by treatment technology.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 240 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating microplastics at two drinking water treatment plants within a river catchment

Researchers tracked microplastics through each treatment stage at two Czech drinking water treatment plants on the same river, finding that the downstream plant received far higher raw water concentrations (1,296 vs. 23 particles/L) and that current treatment reduced but did not eliminate microplastics from finished drinking water.

2023
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and removal of microplastics by advanced and conventional drinking water treatment facilities

Researchers evaluated the performance of both advanced and conventional drinking water treatment processes for removing microplastics, finding that advanced methods such as ultrafiltration substantially outperform standard coagulation and filtration. Most conventional treatment plants leave a meaningful fraction of microplastics in finished drinking water.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Fate of microplastics in the drinking water production

Researchers tracked the fate of microplastics through drinking water treatment processes, finding that conventional treatment steps like coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration removed the majority of microplastics but did not eliminate them entirely.

2022 Water Research 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in raw and treated drinking water

Researchers analyzed raw and treated water from three water treatment plants and found microplastics in all samples, though treatment reduced particle counts by roughly 70 to 80 percent. The vast majority of detected particles were smaller than 10 micrometers, a size range often missed by other studies. The findings highlight that while water treatment removes most microplastics, very small particles can still pass through conventional filtration systems.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 1073 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and removal of microplastics by advanced and conventional drinking water treatment facilities

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and removal efficiency at drinking water treatment plants using both conventional and advanced treatment processes. Advanced treatment steps such as ultrafiltration and activated carbon significantly improved microplastic removal compared to conventional coagulation and filtration alone.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics via drinking water treatment: Current knowledge and future directions

This review examines what is currently known about microplastics in drinking water systems and how well existing water treatment processes remove them. Researchers found that while conventional treatment steps like coagulation and filtration do reduce microplastic levels, significant amounts can still persist through to tap water. The study calls for more research into optimizing treatment processes and developing monitoring strategies specifically targeting microplastic contamination in drinking water.

2020 Chemosphere 386 citations
Article Tier 2

A solution for controling microplastics in drinking water

Researchers developed and tested a technology for controlling microplastic contamination in drinking water, targeting particles at concentrations relevant to typical tap and bottled water exposure. The solution demonstrated effective removal of microplastics from drinking water under realistic treatment conditions.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastics in conventional drinking water treatment plants in Tehran, Iran

Researchers identified microplastics in three conventional drinking water treatment plants in Tehran, Iran, finding that standard treatment processes do not fully eliminate particles down to 1 micron in size, raising concerns about microplastic exposure through tap water.

2021 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic removal across ten drinking water treatment facilities and distribution systems

Researchers characterized microplastic removal across ten drinking water treatment facilities and found that conventional municipal treatment achieved greater than 97.5% removal, primarily through granular media filtration or ultrafiltration. Untreated source waters contained between approximately 1,200 and 7,200 microplastic particles per liter, with polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyamide being the most common types. The findings provide valuable data on microplastic exposure through drinking water and the effectiveness of existing treatment processes.

2025 npj Clean Water 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Removal of microplastics and nanoplastics in water treatment processes: A systematic literature review

Researchers systematically reviewed 103 studies across 26 water treatment plants in 12 countries to assess how well various technologies remove microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water, finding that while coagulation, filtration, and advanced treatments help, significant gaps remain. The review identifies that no single process achieves complete removal, leaving microplastics as a persistent contaminant in treated water supplies.

2024 Journal of Water Process Engineering 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in drinking water treatment – Current knowledge and research needs

This review examines the current state of knowledge about microplastics in drinking water treatment, including how treatment plants remove these particles. Researchers found that conventional treatment processes like coagulation and filtration can remove a significant portion of microplastics, but some particles still pass through to finished water. The study identifies key research gaps around the effectiveness of different treatment technologies and the health implications of residual microplastics.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 421 citations
Article Tier 2

Properties and fate of microplastics entering drinking water treatment plants

This conference abstract reviews how microplastics behave as they pass through drinking water treatment plants, noting that while conventional treatment removes many particles, some still reach tap water consumers. It calls for more data on the types and concentrations of microplastics entering and leaving treatment systems.

2020
Article Tier 2

Contamination and Removal Efficiency of Microplastics and Synthetic Fibres in a Conventional Drinking Water Treatment Plant

Researchers found that a conventional drinking water treatment plant in Geneva removed the majority of microplastics from raw water, with coagulation and sand filtration contributing most to removal, though some particles persisted through to finished drinking water.

2022 Frontiers in Water 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Developing a Methodology for the Testing of Microplastics in Drinking Water Treatment Plants

Researchers developed a standardized methodology for testing microplastic removal efficiency at drinking water treatment plants, including sampling, analysis, and reporting protocols. Having consistent methods is critical for comparing microplastic contamination across different water treatment facilities and establishing regulatory benchmarks.

2021 Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast)
Article Tier 2

Understanding and Improving Microplastic Removal during Water Treatment: Impact of Coagulation and Flocculation

Researchers systematically tested coagulation and flocculation for removing microplastics from drinking water, finding that removal efficiency depended strongly on plastic particle size and whether particles had been weathered, with smaller pristine particles being the hardest to remove.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 424 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence after conventional and nanofiltration processes at drinking water treatment plants: Preliminary results

Researchers detected microplastics in source river water and finished drinking water at three treatment plants in the Paris region, finding that standard treatment steps including coagulation-flocculation and sand filtration reduced but did not eliminate MPs. Nanofiltration achieved higher removal rates, suggesting advanced filtration is needed for near-complete MP removal from drinking water.

2022 Frontiers in Water 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic contamination in drinking water from an italian plant: An analytical study

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination at multiple treatment stages in a drinking water plant in northern Italy that processes turbid river water supplemented with groundwater, quantifying particles through sedimentation, flocculation, sand filtration, activated carbon adsorption, and disinfection stages.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Influence of wastewater treatment process on pollution characteristics and fate of microplastics

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and removal efficiency across four wastewater treatment plants using different treatment technologies, finding influent concentrations between 539 and 1,290 particles per liter that were reduced substantially by primary and secondary treatment. Smaller microplastic particles proved hardest to remove and most likely to persist in final effluent.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances in analysis of microplastics in drinking water treatment plants. Fluorescence techniques using iDye Pink

Microplastics between 0.1 and 5 mm were detected at multiple stages of three drinking water treatment plants, with Nile Red fluorescence staining and spectroscopic techniques showing that while treatment reduces MP loads, particles persist into final treated water.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal efficiencies of microplastics of the three largest drinking water treatment plants in Bangladesh

Researchers evaluated the three largest drinking water treatment plants in Bangladesh and found that while conventional treatment removed a significant portion of microplastics, treated water still contained plastic particles. Removal efficiency varied depending on the treatment process used, with some plants performing better than others. This highlights that current water treatment infrastructure may not fully protect people from microplastic exposure through drinking water.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Drinking Water:Current Knowledge, Quality Assuranceand Future Directions

This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastics in drinking water, covering their occurrence in source waters, behavior during treatment processes, and potential health implications. Researchers found that while drinking water treatment plants remove a portion of microplastics, standardized quality assurance methods are still lacking. The study calls for improved monitoring protocols and treatment technologies to better address microplastic contamination in tap water.

2024 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination and removal efficiency of microplastics and synthetic fibres in a conventional drinking water treatment plant in Geneva, Switzerland

Researchers evaluated microplastic removal efficiency at a large drinking water treatment plant in Geneva, finding that conventional treatment processes effectively reduced microplastic and synthetic fiber concentrations from Lake Geneva source water.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 56 citations