Green Cities
Fact Sheet: Microplastics and Drinking Water
March 6, 2022
END PLASTIC POLLUTION
Fact Sheet: Microplastics and Drinking Water
The billions upon billions of items of plastic waste choking our oceans, lakes, and rivers and piling up on land is more than unsightly and harmful to plants and wildlife. Plastic Pollution is a very real and growing threat to human health.
The following 10 facts shed light on how plastic is proving dangerous to human health. To learn more about the threat and impact of plastic pollution and get tips to reduce your plastic consumption, download our Plastic Pollution Primer and Toolkit today!
- According to a study conducted by Orb Media on plastics and tap water, 83% of tested water samples from major metropolitan areas around the world were contaminated with plastic fibers. Plastic fibers were also found in bottled water produced by 11 of the world’s largest brands purchased from 19 locations in 9 countries.[1] 93% of bottled water showed some sign of microplastic contamination, including polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).[2]
- Each year, about 1 million tons of tiny plastic fibers are released into wastewater.[3]
- In 2015, the US passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act, banning plastic microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products sold in the United States. Critically, there are no regulatory limits on the levels of microplastics in bottled water.[4]
- A single fleece jacket sheds up to 250,000 microfibers during a single wash.[5] Microfibers from synthetic fibers have been shown to make up the majority of human material found along the world’s shorelines, accounting for up to as much as 85% of the total.[6]
- Microplastics can also come from car tires. Plastic dust is created by the friction between the wheels and the road and is blown into waterways by the wind. Car tires shed 20 grams of plastic dust every 100 kilometers. Microplastics can also come from car tires. Plastic dust is created by the friction between the wheels and the road and is blown into waterways by the wind. Car tires shed 20 grams of plastic dust every 100 kilometers.[7]
Sources:
- https://orbmedia.org/invisibles-final-report
- https://orbmedia.org/invisibles-final-report
- https://orbmedia.org/invisibles-final-report
- http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43388870
- https://www.patagonia.com/stories/what-do-we-know-about-tiny-plastic-fibers-in-the-ocean/story-30357.html
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es201811s
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664766/
