Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Potentially Toxic Elements and Microplastics in the Water Treatment Facility

Researchers evaluated potentially toxic elements and microplastics throughout a water treatment facility, finding both contaminant classes present at various treatment stages and raising concerns about the adequacy of current drinking water purification.

2024 Research Square (Research Square) 1 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

Presence, identification and characterization of microplastics in a water treatment plant in a municipality in northern Paraná

Researchers investigated the presence, identification, and characterization of microplastics in a water treatment plant in northern Paraná, Brazil, examining whether the treatment process removes MPs from source water before distribution. Microplastics were detected, raising concerns about whether the plant provides adequate protection against this emerging contaminant in drinking water.

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

Evaluation of the Presence of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Development and Verification of Strategies for Their Quantification and Removal in Aqueous Streams

Researchers evaluated microplastic presence in wastewater treatment plants and developed a pilot capture system capable of detecting, quantifying, and removing microplastic particles from water. The study found that conventional treatment processes are insufficient for complete microplastic removal, highlighting the need for dedicated technologies to address this gap in water treatment infrastructure.

2025 Sustainability 1 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 identification of microplastics in tap water from China

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.

2020 Chemosphere 416 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in Czech drinking water: insights from comprehensive monitoring

Researchers analyzed drinking water from public supply systems across the Czech Republic and found microplastics in nearly all samples, with concentrations ranging from 20 to 180 particles per liter. The most common types were polyethylene-coated paper, PET, and polyester, appearing as both fibers and fragments. The estimated daily intake of microplastics through drinking water was approximately 2 particles per kilogram of body weight per day, though all results fell under European food safety thresholds.

2024 Environmental Sciences Europe 6 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

Size- and Polymer-Specific Assessment of Micro- and Nanoplastics in a European Wastewater Treatment System

Scientists studied tiny plastic particles in European wastewater treatment plants and found that these facilities can remove most microplastics from sewage, but many still escape into the environment. Even though the treatment plants filter out a lot of plastic pollution, the enormous amount of wastewater they process means millions of plastic particles still end up in rivers and oceans every day. This matters because these plastic particles can eventually make their way into our drinking water and food chain, potentially affecting human health.

2026
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
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

Occurrence and analysis of microplastics in municipal wastewater, Poland

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in the influent of a large urban wastewater treatment plant in Poland and found an average of about 4 particles per liter. Textile fibers, primarily from clothing, were the most common form of microplastic detected, with polyethylene terephthalate and rubber among the dominant polymer types. The study underscores that laundry and everyday product use are significant sources of microplastic entering the water system.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 20 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
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

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

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

[Presence of microplastics in water and the potential impact on public health].

This review summarizes what is known about microplastic contamination in drinking water and its potential effects on human health, noting that plastics can enter water supplies through weathering and industrial processes. The authors highlight concerns about physical toxicity, chemical leaching, and the role of microplastics as carriers for pathogens and pollutants, calling for more research and regulatory attention.

2019 Revista espanola de salud publica
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

The occurence of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in wastewater treatment plant in the aspect of interaction with microplastics

Researchers analysed the occurrence of antibiotics, virucidal, and fungicidal pharmaceuticals in raw and treated sewage at a wastewater treatment plant in southern Poland, examining their removal efficiency and potential interactions with microplastics present in the effluent. The study found that pharmaceutical micropollutants persisted through treatment to varying degrees, raising concerns about combined contamination pathways when microplastics act as co-vectors for these compounds.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mass Concentration and Removal Characteristics of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in a Drinking Water Treatment Plant

Researchers measured both microplastics and nanoplastics by mass throughout an entire drinking water treatment plant, finding that raw water contained about 9.6 micrograms per liter of plastic polymers. Treatment reduced this by roughly 92%, but nanoplastics and very small microplastics were harder to remove than larger particles. The study highlights the importance of measuring plastic contamination by mass, not just by particle count, for a more accurate picture of exposure through drinking water.

2024 ACS ES&T Water 29 citations
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

Analysis of microplastic particles in the Pilica River catchment (Poland) using FTIR imaging microscopy

Researchers analyzed microplastic particles in the Pilica River catchment in Poland, examining sources, distribution, and variability of plastic pollution with a focus on wastewater treatment plants as key emission points. Microplastic concentrations in the river varied spatially and were elevated near wastewater discharge points, confirming WWTPs as significant contributors to river plastic contamination.

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

Microplastic Removal in Water Treatment System: A Study of Baghdad’s Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Plants

Researchers analyzed microplastic levels at inlets and outlets of two drinking water plants and two wastewater plants in Baghdad, Iraq, characterizing particles by color, shape, size, and composition to assess treatment efficiency and identify residual contamination in treated water.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Enrichment of microplastics from drinking water treatment sludge

Researchers investigated the enrichment and concentration of microplastics in drinking water treatment sludge, building on prior evidence that treatment processes remove up to 93% of microplastics from source water and thereby accumulate them in sludge byproducts. The study developed and evaluated methods for isolating and characterizing microplastics from this underexplored but potentially significant secondary pollution reservoir.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)