The Guardian | Extensive study of tap water | Significant contamination with plastic fibers
According to an extensive scientific study revealed by The Guardian, tap water from a dozen countries would be contaminated with plastic fibers. Pollution, the origin of which remains unclear, could pose a risk to human health.
Plastic pollution is now a growing concern.
Transformed into microparticles scattered everywhere, plastic now threatens life in streams, lakes and oceans. But people are far from being spared by this massive spread. This is confirmed by a new study initiated by the website Orb Media, the results of which were revealed to the British media The Guardian.
This work made it possible to analyze samples of tap water collected in a dozen countries.
The results revealed an alarming truth:
83% of the water samples were contaminated with plastic fibers. 159 samples tested in 12 countries If the United States is the winner of the unfortunate palm of the highest contamination rate of 94%, European countries - such as France, Great Britain and Germany - are ranked at the bottom of the list with the lowest prices.
Lower prices, albeit alarming. Of the 18 samples collected in Europe, the proportion of these microparticles in water was 72%, which is still significant, although lower than the 94% on the other side of the Atlantic.
A total of 159 samples were analyzed, including 33 in the United States, 26 in Uganda, 24 in Ecuador, 21 in Indonesia, 18 in Europe, 17 in India and 16 in Lebanon.
"According to our findings, a person who drinks two liters of water a day, or drinks such as coffee, tea and soda, can ingest eight plastic fibers - more than 2.900 each year. A risk to human health? Given these results, scientists are asking about the possible consequences of this pollution on human health.
It was already known that plastic microparticles can enter human consumption through food – including contaminated seafood – and ultimately be ingested by the population. However, this study now proves that contamination is also caused by drinking water on a regular basis.
"We have enough research data on wildlife and the impacts [this contamination] has on wildlife," said Dr. Sherri Mason, a researcher at the State University of New York who oversaw the analyses. "If it affects wildlife, then how can we think it won't affect us?" She continued. Concerns revolve around two factors:
the potential presence of nanoparticles capable of deeply infiltrating the body and the fact that microplastics can transport pathogenic organisms.
"We don't know what the health effects are and for this reason we should follow the precautionary principle and make enough effort so that we can determine what the real risks are," explained Dr. Anne Marie Mahon, of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, who carried out the research. The synthetic garments and washing machines involved.
If water treatment plants are unable to filter 100% of all recovered plastic fibers, the water bottle would no longer be a completely reliable alternative. Microparticles have also been observed in the few samples of bottled water analyzed in the United States.
But how can one explain the presence of these plastic fibers?
Their real origin remains unclear and is probably multiple. Almost 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, of which only 20% is recycled or incinerated. So a lot of this plastic ends up in the surrounding air, land or marine environment.
However, surprising sources have been identified. According to the Orb Media website, wastewater from washing machines containing synthetic clothing fibers, tire dust or cosmetics containing microbeads are among the factors to be blamed.
The color of streets, boats or houses would also be to blame. To limit contamination, Orb Media recommends limiting the use of plastic bags, eliminating plastic straws from everyday life and reducing the frequency of synthetic clothing.
When it comes to water consumption, experts suggest that glass bottles should be preferred over plastic bottles or that filter jugs should be used to minimize the fibers present in liquids.
