Microplastics are emerging as an invisible growing threat to Australian households, as they are increasingly being detected in treated tap water, despite the country having a robust infrastructure. This highlights a gap in filtering microplastics from water, although even the advanced treatment systems struggle to remove them completely. If you want to know more about the rising risks of microplastics in Australian tap water, then keep reading.
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 millimetres. They are either intentionally manufactured for industrial and commercial uses or a result of a breakdown of larger plastic-made contents.
How Microplastics Enter the System
Wondering where microplastics come from? They originate mainly from broken-down waste, treated or untreated wastewater discharge, road and stormwater runoffs, microbeads in personal care products, and synthetic textile fibres. Microplastics also come from degraded plastic pipes within water distribution networks.
| Microplastic Sources | Paths to Tap Water |
|---|---|
| Synthetic Fibres: Clothing made of materials like polyester and acrylic sheds microplastics during washing. | Wastewater Discharge: Microplastics enter tap water through untreated or inadequately treated wastewater from washing machines and sewage. |
| Fragments/Microbeads: Microplastics are present in microbeads used in cosmetics and detergents. Plastic packaging also sheds micro-fragments. | Urban Runoff: Microplastics from tyre wear particles and dust on roads enter waterways through urban and rainwater runoffs. |
| Environmental Breakdown: Larger plastic wastes like bottles and bags degrade under mechanical force and UV exposure, thus shedding microplastics. | Infrastructure Degradation: Microplastics enter tap water when plastic pipes in the distribution systems physically break down over time. |
Table 1: Sources and Paths of Microplastics in Australian Tap Water
The Treatment Gap in Australia
Microplastics remain a significant issue in relation to Australian tap water. Do you know how much microplastics are in tap water? According to a study published in 2023, the average concentration of microplastics in Australian tap water is 49.67 items per litre. This is due to the limitations in conventional water processing systems and the heavy dependency on sedimentation techniques.
Limits of Current Methods
The current methods are great at removing larger and denser particles. However, microscopic pollutants like microplastics are denser than water and thus bypass the current filtration units.
Microplastics also have variable densities, minute size, and distinct physical and chemical properties. So, local water authorities operating existing infrastructure find it challenging to capture and remove microplastics.
Need for More Advanced Mechanisms
The current gap in water treatment creates a pressing need for more advanced and innovative filtration technologies. Appropriate remediation is needed to further reduce the release of microplastics into the environment and to remove the particles from tap water.
Conventional water treatment plants find it difficult to completely remove all the microplastic particles. As a result, the particles stay in water and leech out harmful chemicals.
Potential Health & Environmental Risks
Microplastics in water cause damage to both human and environmental health.
Human Health Risks
Now, are there microplastics in tap water to make you sick? The answer is “yes.” You may potentially face currently unknown long-term health impacts by consuming water contaminated with microplastics.
You may face toxicity from the related chemical additives like Bisphenol A and phthalates. Microplastics may also carry pathogens that can make you sick. Although the current levels do not raise immediate concerns, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says that the long-term impacts are still being studied.
Microplastics can also accumulate in your organs and tissues, and lead to issues like inflammation, oxidative stress, weakened immune systems, hormonal imbalance, and physical damage to cells. This is why many Australians keep asking how to filter microplastics from tap water.
Environmental Harm
Microplastics also severely impact the environment and threaten aquatic life. Microplastics accumulate and persist, and get eaten by aquatic animals, mistaking them for food. So, they physically harm the organisms, reduce nutrient availability, and accumulate in the food chain.
Microplastics also serve as vectors for other pollutants like organic contaminants and heavy metals. So, they also transfer toxins to aquatic organisms. They affect entire ecosystems and food chains, racing you as well. Microplastics impact plant life as well by reducing soil fertility and impacting microbial health.
Considering a Microplastics Solution for Your Tap Water?
Microplastics in tap water are a major issue that conventional treatment methods are struggling to address. But considering its unknown long-term health impacts and environmental harm, steps must be taken at home to reduce exposure to microplastics and filter out more of them.
Addressing the issue will require more standardised monitoring and innovative wastewater treatment. But you can contribute to lowering the rate of environmental contamination by reducing the consumption of single-use plastics. Wondering how to remove microplastics from tap water? Install Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems or 1-micron carbon block filters. You can also reach out to environmental remediation service providers for getting advanced microplastic filtration and removal solutions installed in your projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Guideline by the Australian Government for Microplastic Levels in Drinking Water?
No, the government of Australia has not set out any specific guidelines, limits, or legal standards for the level of microplastics in drinking water. As per WHO guidelines, the current microplastic levels in Australian tap water do not pose an immediate risk.
Can Standard Home Water Filters Help Me Get Rid of Microplastics?
Basic filters cannot trap microplastic particles. If you want something that works to an extent, consider ultrafiltration, ceramic filters, RO systems, or carbon filters.
Is Choosing Bottled Water Over Tap Water a Safer Choice in Australia?
No, bottled water in Australia actually contains more microplastics. According to a study, the level of microplastics in tap water is 49.67 items per litre, whereas that in bottled water is 72.32 items per litre.
