Groundbreaking Hunt to Check for Microplastics in Drinking Water

Photo: California will become the first state to test drinking water sources for microplastics, like the kinds captured in this jar. (Source: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project)

Regulators and water systems are finalizing a first-of-its-kind pilot that will determine whether microplastics are contaminating water destined for the tap.

Tiny pieces of plastic waste shed from food wrappers, grocery bags, clothing, cigarette butts, tires and paint are invading the environment and every facet of daily life. Researchers know the plastic particles have even made it into municipal water supplies, but very little data exists about the scope of microplastic contamination in drinking water.

After years of planning, California this year is embarking on a first-of-its-kind data-gathering mission to illuminate how prevalent microplastics are in the state’s largest drinking water sources and help regulators determine whether they are a public health threat.

The State Water Resources Control Board has approved standardized testing methods and is courting laboratories to process samples before the world’s first microplastics monitoring program begins in late 2023. Meanwhile major water agencies tapped for the first round of testing are gathering resources, figuring out how to take samples and readying public messaging strategies in case microplastics turn up in streams and reservoirs.

“No regulating authority has done a monitoring program before, so it’s groundbreaking,” said Paul Rochelle, water quality […]

Full article: Testing at the Source: California Readies a Groundbreaking Hunt to Check for Microplastics in Drinking Water