Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Method development and optimization for assessing microplastic distribution in a drinking water treatment plant: insights into seasonal variation and spatial dissemination from an Italian study.

This study developed and optimized methods for assessing microplastic distribution in a specific environmental matrix, addressing analytical challenges related to particle extraction, identification, and quantification. Optimized protocols improved recovery efficiency and reduced contamination artifacts, supporting more reliable monitoring of microplastic pollution.

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

Method development and optimization for assessing microplastic distribution in a drinking water treatment plant: insights into seasonal variation and spatial dissemination from an Italian study.

Researchers developed and optimized methods for measuring microplastic distribution in complex environmental and food matrices, addressing challenges posed by the diverse size, shape, and chemical composition of particles. The optimized protocol improved detection sensitivity and reduced contamination artifacts.

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

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in drinking water treatment plants, distribution systems, water from refill kiosks, tap waters and bottled waters

This review summarizes research on microplastic contamination across the entire drinking water supply chain, from treatment plants to tap water and bottled water. Microplastics were found at every stage, with concentrations varying widely depending on location and treatment methods. The findings highlight that people are regularly consuming microplastics through their drinking water, though more standardized research is needed to fully understand the health implications.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Human exposure to microplastics from urban decentralized pay-to-fetch drinking-water refill kiosks

Researchers analyzed 63 drinking water samples from decentralized pay-to-fetch refill kiosks in Mexico City for microplastic contamination. The study found microplastics present in all samples, raising concerns about human exposure through this widely used urban water distribution system that serves a large population.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 53 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, characterization, and removal efficiency of microplastics in point-of-use drinking water systems: A case study in Dogonbadan, Iran

Researchers sampled inlet and outlet water from point-of-use drinking water systems in Iran and found that rather than removing microplastics, these systems actually increased average concentrations from 11.66 to 20 MPs/L, with polycarbonate and polypropylene as dominant polymer types.

2025 Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
Article Tier 2

Free, but not microplastic-free, drinking water from outdoor refill kiosks: A challenge and a wake-up call for urban management

Microplastics were detected in water from all 22 free outdoor drinking water refill kiosks tested in Mexico City parks, with an average concentration of 74 MPs per liter. The presence of MPs in these widely-used free water sources highlights a public health gap in microplastic monitoring and removal standards for urban water distribution infrastructure.

2022 Environmental Pollution 44 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

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

Impact of Drinking Water Treatment on Removal of Microplastics

Microplastics were measured throughout six drinking water treatment facilities using Raman spectroscopy and found at concentrations ranging widely in source water, with treatment processes achieving substantial but incomplete removal.

2024 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Presence of microplastics in drinking water from freshwater sources: the investigation in Changsha, China

Researchers measured microplastic abundance at multiple stages of a drinking water supply chain in Changsha, China — from source freshwater through treatment to household taps — finding that water treatment reduced MP concentrations by more than 85% but tap water still contained an average of 344 particles per liter.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 168 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic removal efficiency in a megacity water treatment plant and dynamics in the distribution system

This study tracked microplastics through a megacity drinking water treatment plant and urban distribution network, finding significant MP removal through treatment but detecting residual contamination in distributed water, raising public health concerns in rapidly growing urban areas.

2025 Environmental Technology & Innovation
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Drinking Water Treatment Systems: A Case Study of Bedadung River Jember

Researchers traced microplastic contamination through the Bedadung River water treatment chain in Indonesia, from intake to consumer taps, at seven sampling points. MPs were present throughout the system, with concentrations declining through treatment stages but not reaching zero, indicating residual MP exposure in treated drinking water.

2025 Energy - Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu-Ilmu Teknik
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in urban water cycles: Looking for a more scientific approach for sampling and characterization in wastewater and drinking water treatment plants

Researchers monitored microplastics in urban water cycles across three drinking water plants and two wastewater treatment plants using a self-designed large-volume sampler that collected up to 1,000 liters per sample. Raw drinking water and wastewater contained 2 or more microplastic particles per liter, highlighting contamination across the urban water system.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
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 produced by two treatment plants using different technologies, finding that treatment design significantly affected which and how many microplastics remained in finished water. The results highlight the importance of treatment technology in determining consumer exposure to microplastics in tap water.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

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

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
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

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 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
Article Tier 2

Microplastics attenuation from surface water to drinking water: Impact of treatment and managed aquifer recharge – and identification uncertainties

Researchers tracked microplastics (larger than 20 micrometers) through six stages of a Managed Aquifer Recharge drinking water system and found progressive attenuation at each treatment stage, though some microplastics persisted into the final drinking water.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
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