Microplastics are in Our Water
By: Rick Allen, Pure Elements Water
Plastic is everywhere in our world, from the highest mountains to the bottom of the oceans. Unfortunately, this includes our water supply, where microplastics live as small particles less than 5 millimeters in length with some so tiny they can only be seen through a microscope.
Microplastics are tiny particles that have broken off from plastic containers, clothing when washed or worn, food packaging, plastic bottles, etc. These particles also come from tires, cosmetics, flame retardants, filters and pharmaceuticals. After they break free, these small particles end up in our air, water, soil, humans, plants and animals.
Plastic is very prevalent in our oceans – there is a large zone of the Pacific Ocean that has been named the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch." This gyre is a swirling pool of plastics that is the size of Texas. More than 80% of the plastic garbage comes from land, and the gyre has been described as a “soup of microplastics." These microplastics end up in our water, seafood and soil, sometimes known as Mermaid’s Tears. And this is not the only one of these toxic gyres in our oceans…
The risks and hazards posed to humans by microplastics are poorly understood. Currently studies are being undertaken to learn more about the effects of microplastics on humans and the environment.
As of June 2020, California began the process of defining microplastics in our drinking water. The definition created by the Water Resources Control Board (State Board) is “human-made or human-altered solid materials greater than 1 nanometer and less than 5 millimeters.”
California has been a leader in testing and on regulations for microplastics. Since 2022, the State Board has determined two testing protocols for these contaminants. California is the first state in the nation, if not the world, to require testing of microplastics in drinking water.
Locally, Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD, serving Newport Coast) has been identified as one of 25 municipal water providers to participate in the first phase of California’s testing. These tests began in Spring of 2024 and will continue quarterly for two years. Results will be evaluated, and further testing will follow. Findings will be published on IRWD’s Annual Water Quality Report and their website.
What can we do to protect ourselves from microplastics in our water? Take this critical step to limit exposure: Avoid tap and bottled water. Tap water contains microplastics, and bottled water contains up to twice the levels of tap water. Instead, install a quality purified drinking water system and whole-house filtration system from an expert provider you trust. As with all newer contaminants, get good advice because generic water systems will not provide the protection you deserve.
To find out more information about installing a home water filtration system, visit www.pureelementswater.com