Hea Jeong Kim: Every Sip Counts: Microplastics in Drinking Water

The way of consuming, storing and transporting drinking water has changed as our society has developed. The most popular source of drinking water, globally, is single-use plastic bottled water due to its accessibility and convenience.

Given the prevalence and popularity of bottled water, as well as other uses of plastic materials in drinking water supply, it is a major concern how plastics introduce contaminants to consumers through drinking water. Plastics contain various chemical additives and degrade into microplastics - small, degraded plastic pieces (1-5000 µm) which are harmful to human health and the environment. Therefore, it is critical to analyse drinking water to understand potential microplastic exposure and provide accurate information to the community about the water we are consuming.