Preliminary study of microplastics in bottled and tap water in Estonia
Laen...
Kuupäev
2024
Kättesaadav alates
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Estonian University of Life Sciences
Abstrakt
Microplastics (MPs) are a growing environmental concern due to their widespread occurrence and potential harmful impacts on ecosystems and public health. This preliminary study -assesses the prevalence of MPs in bottled and tap water in Estonia and reviews related research in the field. The study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of MPs and understand the potential influence of the water source and packaging material on water properties. The study encompassed 12 different bottled water products from 9 Estonian brands and tap water samples from Tallinn and Tartu. All the tested water samples contained MPs, predominantly fibers, with blue and transparent being the most common colors. The packaging material, bottle caps, or the water source did not influence the number of MPs found in bottled water. Interestingly, water packaged in glass bottles contained a higher count of MPs than in plastic bottles and tap water. The study underscores the need for further research to determine the sources of contamination.
Kirjeldus
Received: August 25th, 2024 ; Accepted: November 20th, 2024 ; Published: December 16th, 2024 ; Correspondence: annika.meitern@taltech.ee
Märksõnad
bottled water, drinking water, microplastics, plastic pollution, tap water, water contamination, articles