WHO warns microplastics present in drinking water

Microplastic pollution caused by rubbish dumped at sea is also in drinking water, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a new report that calls for more research on the potential health effects.

Particles of the kind increasingly found at the bottom of the ocean are present in some household water supplies, according to an analysis of the latest studies.

But water contaminated by disease-causing pathogens remains a far greater source of health concern, the WHO said.

It comes just days after shocked scientists found microplastic pieces in ice samples taken from a remote stretch of the Arctic.

“We urgently need to know more about the health impact of microplastics because they are everywhere — including in our drinking water,” said Maria Neira, Director of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health at the WHO.

“Based on the limited information we have, microplastics in drinking water don’t appear to pose a health risk at current levels. But we need to find out more. We also need to stop the rise in plastic pollution worldwide.”

Via Euronews