Papers

61,005 results
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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

Microplastics: review of removal methods for drinking water production

This review examined methods for removing microplastics from drinking water, responding to the growing detection of microplastic contaminants in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and both tap and bottled water. The review surveys emerging treatment technologies capable of addressing microplastics as pollutants in drinking water production, synthesizing evidence on removal efficiency, limitations, and practical applicability for water utilities.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Problems, Challenges, and Removing Methods of Micro Plastics from Water

This review examines the presence of microplastics in drinking water — both tap and bottled — and the technologies available to remove them. Microplastics have been detected in drinking water worldwide, and while conventional treatment removes some particles, smaller nanoplastics largely pass through. The authors assess filtration, coagulation, and advanced treatment options for improving microplastic removal in drinking water systems.

2021 International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology
Review Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Drinking Water: A Review

This review summarized current research on microplastic contamination in drinking water, covering detection methods, occurrence data, and health implications. The authors found microplastics widely present in tap and bottled water worldwide and noted that conventional treatment processes remove them incompletely, raising ongoing concerns about chronic low-level human ingestion.

2025 Journal of Health Science and Pharmacy
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

Occurrence and Source of Microplastics Contamination in Drinking Water and Performance of Water Treatment Plants in Removing Microplastics

This review summarizes evidence that microplastics are present in both tap water and bottled water worldwide, with bottled water frequently contaminated by particles shed from the plastic packaging itself. Conventional water treatment plants remove between 40% and 93% of microplastics but cannot eliminate them entirely, meaning treated drinking water still carries measurable plastic loads. The chapter highlights the irony that plastic packaging intended to deliver clean water is itself a major source of microplastic contamination.

2023
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)
Review Tier 2

A Review of the Current Literature on Sources and Mitigation Strategies of Microplastics in Drinking Water

Researchers reviewed the key sources of microplastic contamination in drinking water — including plastic waste, synthetic clothing, and microbeads in personal care products — and assessed strategies for reducing exposure through improved treatment technologies and stricter regulations on plastic production. The review emphasizes that effective policy, combined with public awareness about single-use plastics, is essential for protecting drinking water quality.

2025 Proceedings of the International Conference of Recent Trends in Environmental Science and Engineering
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics contamination in water supply system and treatment processes

This systematic review found that microplastics are frequently detected in drinking and bottled water despite current treatment technologies, and that no existing method can completely remove them. Integrating advanced treatment approaches with life-cycle assessment and machine learning is needed to address this pervasive contamination of water supply systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 27 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

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

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

Conventional and biological treatment for the removal of microplastics from drinking water

Researchers examined microplastic removal by a full-scale drinking water treatment plant, finding that conventional coagulation-flocculation-filtration processes and biological filters with granular activated carbon effectively reduced microplastic concentrations in treated water.

2021 Chemosphere 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient removal of microplastics through a combined treatment process: Pre-filtration and adsorption

A combined treatment process integrating coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration achieved efficient removal of microplastics from drinking water. The study supports the feasibility of adapting existing water treatment infrastructure to address microplastic contamination.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Prevalence and implications of microplastics in potable water system: An update

This review summarizes current knowledge on microplastic contamination in drinking water systems worldwide, covering sources, detection methods, and potential health implications. Researchers found that microplastics are present in both tap and bottled water, with fibers and fragments being the most common types detected. The study highlights the need for standardized testing methods and regulatory limits to protect public health from microplastic exposure through drinking water.

2023 Chemosphere 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Drinking Water

This review examines published evidence on microplastic presence in tap water, bottled water, and drinking water treatment plants, summarizing known pathways by which microplastics enter drinking water supplies and discussing potential human health impacts and future research priorities.

2025
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
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics in water, from treatment process to drinking water: analytical methods and potential health effects

This systematic review examines how microplastics travel through the water treatment process from raw water sources to your tap and bottled water. The researchers present methods for detecting these particles and assess potential health impacts of drinking microplastic-contaminated water. The findings suggest that current water treatment may not fully remove microplastics, meaning ongoing low-level exposure through drinking water is likely.

2022 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Drinking Water: A Review of Sources, Removal, Detection, Occurrence, and Potential Risks

This review examines how microplastics enter drinking water supply systems, evaluates methods for their detection and removal, and summarizes what is known about their occurrence in treated water. Researchers found that while conventional water treatment removes a significant portion of microplastics, no current method eliminates them completely. The study highlights the need for improved monitoring standards and further research into the long-term health effects of ingesting microplastics through drinking water.

2025 Toxics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

[Research Progress on Removal of Microplastics by Filtration in Drinking Water Treatment].

This review examines how media filtration at drinking water treatment plants removes microplastics, evaluating filter types, operating conditions, and removal efficiencies reported in the literature. It identifies filtration as a scalable, cost-effective barrier for MP removal and discusses optimisation strategies to improve performance.

2025 PubMed
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

Microplastic as an written composition in bottled water: Implications for waste management

This study characterized microplastic contamination in bottled water, identifying common polymer types and particle sizes and discussing implications for waste management and the effectiveness of current filtration in bottling facilities.

2024 Waste Handling and Environmental Monitoring.
Article Tier 2

Development and evaluation of a water treatment system for the removal of microplastics in an aqueous medium.

Researchers developed and evaluated a water treatment system for removing microplastics from aqueous media, addressing the urgent environmental concern of microplastic contamination in rivers, seas, and oceans and assessing the system's effectiveness as a promising water purification technology.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the Efficiency of Drinking Water Treatment Systems in the Removal of Microplastics

Researchers analysed the efficiency of drinking water treatment systems in removing microplastics — primarily PET, PP, PS, and PVC fibres and fragments — from source water, reviewing how physical, chemical, and biological treatment stages contribute to reduction. The review also evaluates associated health risks including inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and genetic damage linked to microplastic exposure via drinking water.

2024 Universidad Industrial de Santander