In the previous post, we have alluded to the emerging mask pollution during this pandemic. Today, we would like to discuss plastic in drinking water.
Plastic in Tap Water
Yes! You did not get me wrong, there are plastics in our drinking water! According to the investigation by Orb Media, scientists have discovered that 83% of the tap water’s samples were contaminated by plastic fibre in more than a dozen countries.
As shown in the image above, the U.S is the most affected country as 94.4% of the tap water sampled were discovered to be contaminated by plastic fibre. In previous studies, scientists were mainly focused on the biomagnification effect of microplastics into the food chain (Carrington, 2017). However, this finding has proved that microplastic can enter our body without any intermediary.
Health Impact
Currently, there was no direct result showing that the microplastic in the water is critically affecting human health. However, research has proved that pathogens and bacteria are able to attach on one small piece of plastic. Hence, the toxicity of plastic and pathogens are still likely to affect our health condition in the long run (Carrington, 2017).
Besides that, the current water treatment system is still unable to fully remove the microplastic from the water (Carrington, 2017). Even the bottled water sold in the supermarket is not immune to the contamination. Therefore, this will become a serious issue as it is extremely difficult to find another alternative water source to maintain our daily demands when our supply is contaminated by microscopic plastic particles.
Cheers,
Shee Wen & Nicole 
References:
Carrington, D. (2017), The Guardian. Plastic fibres found in tap water around the world, study reveals. Retrieved November 5, 2020 from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-reveals#:~:text=Microplastic%20contamination%20has%20been%20found,on%20the%20implications%20for%20health.&text=Overall%2C%2083%25%20of%20the%20samples%20were%20contaminated%20with%20plastic%20fibres.