Plastic fibres found in tap water around the world, study reveals

[turbinetree]

Microplastic contamination has been found in tap water in countries around the world, leading to calls from scientists for urgent research on the implications for health.

Scores of tap water samples from more than a dozen nations were analysed by scientists for an investigation by Orb Media, who shared the findings with the Guardian. Overall, 83% of the samples were contaminated with plastic fibres.

The US had the highest contamination rate, at 94%, with plastic fibres found in tap water sampled at sites including Congress buildings, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters, and Trump Tower in New York. Lebanon and India had the next highest rates.

European nations including the UK, Germany and France had the lowest contamination rate, but this was still 72%. The average number of fibres found in each 500ml sample ranged from 4.8 in the US to 1.9 in Europe.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-reveals

[Warpy]

1. Looks like activated charcoal filters will be pretty standard from now on

They won't get rid of 100% of the crap, but they'll get rid of a lot of it.

Most of it should be inert, passing right through the gut. However, we've seen an increase in colon cancer among younger adults lately, there is an outside chance that this and not a meat heavy diet could be to blame--or it could be a combination.

[Historic NY]

4. I filter my house and its catches lots of little plastic bits...

filter goes in white and comes out brown and heavy.

[Warpy]

5. I use a Brita

and I'm always amazed by how much heavier it is after 2 months.

I got it because I'm near a pumping station and the water is hard and reeks of chlorine and the chlorine makes my tea weird. The Brita takes care of it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Been using them for over 12 years down here, same reason.

The cats and dog get filtered water, too. Why should they drink what I would not drink, I say.

[Native]

7. Are you sure the charcoal filters will work?

Check out the other articles on this - seems that once these microscopic particles hit the gut, the gut does a remarkable job of allowing the toxins to enter our systems.

Prof Richard Thompson, at Plymouth University, UK, told Orb: “It became clear very early on that the plastic would release those chemicals and that actually, the conditions in the gut would facilitate really quite rapid release.”

And since plastic just gets smaller as it degrades and doesn't disappear, we're looking at nanoparticles that aren't even registering. What will filter out that?

“If the fibres are there, it is possible that the nanoparticles are there too that we can’t measure,” she said. “Once they are in the nanometre range they can really penetrate a cell and that means they can penetrate organs, and that would be worrying.” The Orb analyses caught particles of more than 2.5 microns in size, 2,500 times bigger than a nanometre.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-reveals

[ProfessorGAC]

9. Good Point

In addition, the polymers are not reactive materials any longer. So, the activated carbon has no affinity toward those compounds. AC filters don't just "filter". They actually "grab" certain reactive organic compounds and hold them by electron sharing affinity. If something isn't reactive not so much but if it is readily reactive at the electron conformation level (say a halocarbon created by chlorine treatment for bacterial reasons), it will stay with the carbon.

AC filters usually are not better than 1 micron nominal, which really means they pull out 5 microns or less but some percentage (say 10% of 1 micron particles) get through.

There are absolute filters that will pull 99.9% of particles of the rated size out of the material, but if your site mentions nano particles, it would take far more sophisticated membrane filters to remove those tiny pieces.

[Native]

10. So basically we're all screwed!

[ProfessorGAC]

11. Assuming The Plastic Is Toxic

I didn't see anything in that report that suggests that. And since those plastics are not digestable in any short time frame (polymers are quite impervious to the hydrochloric acid in the stomach) i'd think they'd mostly pass through.

I guess i'd be nervous about the collection of the fibers in the kidneys, which are very effective membrane filters.

Could be a starting "seed" of kidney stones i would guess.

[Native]

13. The nanoparticles can penetrate cells & damage organs & the toxins in plastic....

(microplastics absorb toxins) are rapidly released in the gut. Ugh.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. I'll Look Into That

Unless the polymers are fraying at the molecular level, not sure how they absorb toxins. I'm not seeing the mechanism for that, and that should be fairly simple physical chemistry.

Not sure why the toxins would preferentially absorb or adsorb into what is essentially an inert, high molecular weight substance.

If i find anything conclusive, i'll PM you.

[Native]

15. Thanks!

[pangaia]

2. Beyond the pale...

[TheDebbieDee]

3. I wonder if there has ever been a survey of drinking sources around the world

for the presence of lead in the water...

[machoneman]

8. Yes, lead and other chemicals pose a far greater danger...

...than plastic. These are assimilated in the body unlike plastic where some traces may not pass through the digestive tract yet may still be harmless. Not so at all with lead, petro-based chemicals and even low radioactive by-products in subterranean granite states (like the Eastern US region). I'd be much more concerned about these issues.

[Native]

12. Plastic can damage internal organs and the toxins in plastic are released in our guts...

Anne Marie Mahon, who works with the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, told The Guardian that the plastic fibers could cause damage to a person’s internal organs.

“If the fibers are there, it is possible that the nanoparticles are there too that we can’t measure,” Mahon said. “Once they are in the nanometer range they can really penetrate a cell and that means they can penetrate organs, and that would be worrying.” 

   

And
    

Microplastics can attract bacteria found in sewage, Mahon said: “Some studies have shown there are more harmful pathogens on microplastics downstream of wastewater treatment plants.”

Microplastics are also known to contain and absorb toxic chemicals and research on wild animals shows they are released in the body. Prof Richard Thompson, at Plymouth University, UK, told Orb: “It became clear very early on that the plastic would release those chemicals and that actually, the conditions in the gut would facilitate really quite rapid release.”