Here & Now

Fast Facts: Microplastics in Water

Marisa Wojcik:

You wouldn’t know it by looking at it but there are microplastics in our water according to a new study from the University of Minnesota. First what is a microplastic? Technically it’s anything smaller than five millimeters. And where are microplastics found? This study focused on beer, salt, and tap water, but the real answer is everywhere. This is the first study to look at the presence of microplastics in tap water. Water samples were collected from 14 countries around the world and microplastic materials were found in 81% of the samples with the highest levels coming from the United States. The direct health effects of consuming these microplastics are not yet known. Because of their presence in our drinking water the study concludes that it’s difficult to recommend ways to avoid ingestion. If it’s tough to avoid, what can we do? One piece of advice from the studys author is to find ways to reduce our overall use of the materials that cause the problem. For example, cut down on single-use plastics especially bottled water which a related study shows to have twice as many plastic fragments as tap water. Another piece of advice wear natural fibers. The most prevalent microplastics found in tap water were synthetic fibers. And finally researchers say to recycle. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade so if it ends up in a landfill, it could end up in our water supply. For these and other fast facts visit wpt.org.