Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic in desalinated and seawater: Comparative assessment

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.

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

Effects of Microplastics on Pre-treatment Process for Seawater Desalination

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.

2025 National University of Singapore
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in small semi-industrial desalination stations and bottled waters: Human exposure and emerging health concerns

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.

2026 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and size distribution study of microplastics in household water from different cities in continental Spain and the Canary Islands

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.

2023 Water Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics from headwaters to tap water: occurrence and removal in a drinking water treatment plant in Barcelona Metropolitan area (Catalonia, NE Spain)

Researchers tracked microplastics through an entire drinking water treatment plant in Barcelona, from river source to tap. The study found microplastic concentrations of about 1 particle per liter in the raw intake water, with sand filtration removing roughly 78% of particles and the overall treatment process achieving 93% removal. Advanced treatments like ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis proved more effective at removing microplastics than conventional ozonation and carbon filtration.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine microplastics analysis and their transport in the water column of the Canary Islands region

Researchers analyzed microplastics in seawater samples from the Canary Islands region, studying how oceanographic processes transport plastic particles through the water column. The study characterized plastic particle abundance, size, and polymer type at multiple depths, documenting how vertical transport processes move microplastics from the surface to depth.

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

Identifying microplastic contamination in drinking water: analysis and evaluation using spectroscopic methods

Researchers developed analytical methods to identify and quantify microplastic contamination in drinking water, evaluating extraction efficiency and detection accuracy across different water types and plastic particle sizes. The study assessed health implications based on measured plastic loads in treated water.

2024 Interdisciplinary Environmental Review
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
Article Tier 2

Behavior and removal of microplastics during desalination in a lab-scale direct contact membrane distillation system

Researchers explored microplastic behavior in a direct contact membrane distillation system for seawater desalination, finding that the membrane effectively removed microplastics from drinking water while certain plastic types degraded under the high operating temperatures.

2023 Desalination 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics contamination in raw and treated water

Researchers analyzed 189 samples of raw, tap, and bottled drinking water for micro- and nanoplastic contamination. They found plastic particles in every sample tested, with raw water sources containing the highest concentrations and treated tap water containing the lowest, though contamination was never fully eliminated. The study suggests that current water treatment processes reduce but do not completely remove plastic particles from drinking water.

2023 Water Science & Technology Water Supply 25 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

Microplastics in Treatment Units and Water Recirculation Systems of Two Drinking Water Treatment Plants Feed with Fresh Water in Catalonia (NE Spain)

Researchers evaluated microplastic occurrence across treatment units and water recirculation systems in two drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in Catalonia, Spain, fed by freshwater sources. The study identified potential hotspots where conventional filtration methods failed to fully eliminate microplastics, providing real-world data on how microplastics persist and accumulate within DWTP infrastructure.

2025 Water Air & Soil Pollution
Article Tier 2

A solution for controling microplastics in drinking water

Researchers developed and tested a system for controlling microplastic contamination in drinking water, reporting on removal efficiency at levels relevant to public health. The approach offered effective microplastic reduction from drinking water sources including tap and bottled water.

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

Recycled wastewater as a potential source of microplastics in irrigated soils from an arid-insular territory (Fuerteventura, Spain)

Researchers found that recycled wastewater used for irrigation in Fuerteventura, Spain, contained up to 40 microplastic particles per liter, resulting in three times higher microplastic concentrations in irrigated soils compared to those irrigated with desalinated water.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 120 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Canary Islands: A Case Study on Transport and Tourist Pressure

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in the Canary Islands, a region heavily influenced by Atlantic Ocean currents, and found that remote sources contributed significantly to local beach and water accumulation. The study also evaluated emerging contaminants on an EU regulatory watch list, finding limited but concerning data on ecological risks.

2025 Environments
Article Tier 2

Presence of microplastics in the groundwater of volcanic islands, El Hierro and La Palma (Canary Islands)

For the first time, researchers detected microplastics in the groundwater of volcanic islands El Hierro and La Palma in the Canary Islands, finding six different plastic types at concentrations up to 23 particles per liter. Polypropylene and polyethylene from packaging and water pipes were the most common, likely entering groundwater through leaky sewage systems. This finding is alarming because groundwater is often considered a clean water source, and its contamination with microplastics means even remote island communities face exposure through their drinking water.

2024 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in different water samples (seawater, freshwater, and wastewater): Removal efficiency of membrane treatment processes

Researchers studied microplastic distribution across seawater, freshwater, and wastewater sources in France and evaluated the removal efficiency of membrane treatment processes. The study found that wastewater contained the highest concentrations of microplastics, and that membrane-based treatment technologies showed strong potential for removing microplastic particles from different water sources.

2023 Water Research 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine microplastics analysis and their transport in the water column of the Canary Islands region

Researchers characterized marine microplastics in the water column of the Canary Islands, tracking how ocean currents and physical processes transport particles vertically and horizontally. The study found that particle properties and oceanographic conditions jointly determine where microplastics accumulate in the water column.

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

Polymers of micro- and nanoplastics in household tap water of Barcelona

Researchers quantified micro- and nanoplastic polymers in the 0.7-20 micrometer size range in household tap water from the public drinking water network of Barcelona, Spain, using a novel workflow designed to capture smaller particle sizes than most previous studies. The cross-sectional study found microplastics present in drinking water at concentrations relevant to human daily exposure assessment.

2022 ISEE Conference Abstracts 1 citations
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

Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Potable Water and Their Sources within Water Treatment Works in England and Wales

Researchers tested eight water treatment works in England and Wales and found that conventional treatment processes removed 99.99% of microplastics, reducing raw water concentrations of about 5 particles per liter to near-zero in drinking water. Polyethylene, PET, and polypropylene were the most common polymers found in the raw water supply.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 180 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
Article Tier 2

Microplastics are found in drinking water and even in table salt

Microplastics have been detected in both tap water and table salt, indicating that everyday food and drink is a direct pathway for human dietary exposure to plastic particles.

2023 üha
Article Tier 2

Tracking microplastics in a drinking water supply system proximity to industrial facilities: Occurrence, source identification, and risk assessment

Researchers comprehensively investigated microplastic occurrence, sources, and health risks in a drinking water supply system near industrial facilities, finding that a granular activated carbon filter removed 93.39% of microplastics at the treatment plant. However, microplastic abundance increased during distribution, highlighting post-treatment contamination as a critical but underappreciated exposure pathway.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials