Occurrence of microplastics in raw and treated drinking water

0492128 - ÚH 2019 RIV NL eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Pivokonský, Martin - Čermáková, Lenka - Novotná, Kateřina - Peer, Petra - Cajthaml, T. - Janda, V.
Occurrence of microplastics in raw and treated drinking water.
Science of the Total Environment. Roč. 643, December (2018), s. 1644-1651. ISSN 0048-9697. E-ISSN 1879-1026
Grant CEP: GA ČR(CZ) GA18-14445S
Institucionální podpora: RVO:67985874
Klíčová slova: drinking water sources * microplastics * nanoplastics * plastic contamination * water treatment
Obor OECD: Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7)
Impakt faktor: 5.589, rok: 2018

The study investigates the content of microplastic particles in freshwater and drinking water. Specifically, three water treatment plants (WTPs) supplied by different kinds of water bodies were selected and their raw and treated water was analysed for microplastics (MPs). Microplastics were found in all water samples and their average abundance ranged from 1473 +/- 34 to 3605 +/- 497 particles L-1 in raw water and from 338 +/- 76 to 628 +/- 28 particles L-1 in treated water, depending on the WTP. This study is one of very few that determine microplastics down to the size of 1 mu m, while MPs smaller than 10 mu m were the most plentiful in both raw and treated water samples, accounting for up to 95%. Further, MPs were divided into three categories according to their shape. Fragments clearly prevailed at two of the WTPs and fibres together with fragments predominated at one case. Despite 12 different materials forming the microplastics being identified, the majority of the MPs (>70%) comprised of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene) and PE (polyethylene). This study contributes to fill the knowledge gap in the field of emerging microplastic pollution of drinking water and water sources, which is of concern due to the potential exposure of microplastics to humans.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0287321