Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Identification, Quantification, and Evaluation of Microplastics Removal Efficiency in a Water Treatment Plant (A Case Study in Iran)

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence and removal efficiency across treatment stages of a drinking water treatment plant in Iran, finding an influent concentration of 1597.7 MPs/L with an overall removal efficiency of 83.7%, yet still discharging an estimated 2.25 x 10^11 MPs daily into the distribution system, with PP, PE, and PET as the dominant polymers.

2022 Air Soil and Water Research 14 citations
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

Tracking microplastics contamination in drinking water in Zahedan, Iran: From source to consumption taps

Researchers tracked microplastic contamination through the entire drinking water system in Zahedan, Iran, from raw water sources to household taps. While water treatment plants removed 64-75% of microplastics, tap water actually contained more microplastics than the treated water, likely due to contamination from pipes and plumbing. Children were estimated to consume more microplastics per body weight than adults, highlighting concerns about drinking water as a source of microplastic exposure.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Effectiveness of Household Water Filtration Systems in Eliminating Plastic Particles: A Case Study from Mosul City, Iraq

Researchers tested the effectiveness of household water filtration systems—including pitcher, faucet-mounted, and reverse osmosis filters—in removing microplastic particles from tap water, finding that reverse osmosis achieved the highest removal efficiency while pitcher filters performed variably.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Removal from Drinking Water Using Point-of-Use Devices

Researchers tested common household water filter pitchers to see how well they remove microplastics from drinking water. Filters using microfiltration technology removed 78-100% of plastic particles, while one filter using only activated carbon and ion exchange actually released more particles than it captured. The study suggests that point-of-use water filters with microfiltration can meaningfully reduce microplastic exposure from tap water.

2023 Polymers 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial mapping and risk assessment of microplastic contamination in drinking water catchments from north of the Persian Gulf

Researchers mapped microplastic contamination across 11 drinking water treatment plants in Khuzestan Province, Iran, near the Persian Gulf. While treatment reduced overall microplastic levels, fibers made up 71% of particles remaining in treated water, and polyethylene was the dominant type found. The study shows that current water treatment processes are not fully removing microplastics from drinking water, meaning people in the region are consuming small amounts of plastic particles daily.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 7 citations
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

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 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

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

Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses of Microplastics in Tap Water Supply Network in Iran

Researchers analyzed tap water samples from the drinking water distribution system in Isfahan, Iran, and found microplastics present in all samples tested. The most common types were fibers made of polyethylene and polypropylene, with concentrations varying across different points in the distribution network. The study estimates human microplastic exposure from tap water consumption in the region and highlights the need for improved water treatment to address this emerging contaminant.

2024 Health Scope 2 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
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
Article Tier 2

Transport, Behavior, and Human Exposure of Microplastics in Rural Drinking Water Supply Chains

Researchers tracked microplastic distribution, transport, and human exposure risk through rural drinking water supply chains in China, finding MPs present throughout the system from source water to tap, with concentration changes at each treatment and distribution stage.

2025 Environment & Health
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

[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

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in water supply systems: In water and pipe scales

Researchers found microplastics present throughout drinking water supply systems, both in treated water and accumulated within pipe scales, with concentrations in pipe scales being significantly higher than in the water itself.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the performance of Tehran drinking water treatment plants in removing nanoplastics and microplastics

Researchers evaluated the microplastic and nanoplastic removal performance of three drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in Tehran, Iran, with the novel inclusion of particles smaller than 1 µm, across both warm and cold seasons. The study assessed how seasonal variation affected influent particle concentrations and how effectively conventional treatment processes removed particles across this extended size range.

2022 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología 1 citations
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

Occurrence and Removal Efficiency of Microplastics in Four Drinking Water Treatment Plants in Zhengzhou, China

Researchers sampled four drinking water treatment plants in Zhengzhou, China, and found microplastics in raw water (13–25 particles per litre) with only partial removal — fibers and fragments dominated, and the treatment process actually shifted polymer composition, with PET becoming the most prevalent type in finished drinking water. The study is significant because it demonstrates that standard treatment cannot fully eliminate microplastics from tap water, meaning that people are regularly consuming microplastics from treated municipal supplies.

2023 Water 11 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
Article Tier 2

Household Point-of-Use Devices for the Removal of Microplastics in Drinking Water: A Scoping Review Protocol

This research review summarizes existing studies on home water filters that can remove tiny plastic particles (called microplastics) from tap water. The goal is to figure out which household water treatment devices actually work to filter out these plastic bits before you drink the water. This matters because microplastics are increasingly found in drinking water, and scientists want to help people understand which home filters might protect their health.

2026 OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Article Tier 2

The Detection and Analysis of Microplastics in a Typical Mountainous Drinking Water System in China

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in a mountainous drinking water system in rural China and found that microplastic concentrations increased along the pipeline length, with simple filtration facilities failing to effectively remove most particles. Polyethylene, polyurethane, and PET were the dominant polymers, with most particles smaller than 100 micrometers. The estimated daily intake was highest for infants, highlighting the particular vulnerability of young children in remote communities with limited water treatment infrastructure.

2024 Toxics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Transportation in a Typical Drinking Water Supply: From Raw Water to Household Water

Researchers tracked microplastics through an entire drinking water system, from the source water to household taps, and found that treatment plants actually increased microplastic counts rather than removing them. The treated water contained 12 to 25 particles per liter, with most being tiny fragments under 100 micrometers made of common plastics like PET and PVC. This suggests that current water treatment infrastructure may be shedding microplastics from its own pipes and filters into the water people drink.

2024 Water 17 citations