Low numbers of microplastics detected in drinking water from ground water sources.

By S. Mintenig, Martin G. J. Löder, S. Primpke, G. Gerdts. Science of the Total Environment, 2019

791 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Microplastic particles have been detected in various natural habitats and the digestive tracts of several species. These particles have also been reported in commercially available seafood, salt or bottled water starting discussions on potential implications for human health. To be able to assess the related risks, exposure concentrations and pathways need to be known. Here, we analysed ground water and drinking water for the presence of microplastics (>20 μm) using FTIR imaging. Samples were taken at different positions within the drinking water supply chain. Determined concentrations ranged from 0 to 7 microplastics m-3 raw water or drinking water with an overall mean of 0.7 microplastics m-3. These particles were identified as polyethylene, polyamide, polyester, polyvinylchloride or epoxy resin and between 50 and 150 μm in size. Plastic is a resistant and durable material, still, the abrasion of plastic equipment used during water purification or transport is a likely explanation for the plastic particles detected in water samples.

Subfields: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Pollution

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/8f7f40c3d6ca1449c6b4af4117408c272852c0c7

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

  1. A. Lehmann
  2. J. Bergmann
  3. A. Wulf
  4. Linshan Feng
  5. E. Leifheit
  6. Matthias C. Rillig

In Pollution

  1. A. Lehmann
  2. J. Bergmann
  3. A. Wulf
  4. Linshan Feng
  5. E. Leifheit
  6. Matthias C. Rillig

Citations in the corpus