Pollution : plastic fibres in tap water

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Published the 07.09.2017 at 18h18

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The plastic, it’s fantastic. To such a point that we use it in all the sauces. Since its invention, humanity has produced 8.3 billion tonnes, according to a study published in July in Science Advances. An invasion that the planet does not seem to appreciate. In return, she made us eat. Or rather, it made us to drink.

An investigation on the water, conducted by Orb Media in 14 countries around the world, is not reassuring. The tap water was analyzed, and plastic fibres have been found in 83% of the samples. Pollution is pervasive, which affects us directly.

Europe in better shape

In Europe, the plastic was found in 72 % of the samples, the lowest rate of the study. To the Jakarta (Indonesia), it is, and 76 %, New Delhi (India), it rises to 82 %, and the record is co-held by Lebanon and the United States. In these two countries, 94 % of the samples collected contained plastic fibre !

These were reported to range between 0.1 and 5 mm. The samples contained on average a little more than 4 per litre, but some plafonnaient to 54 particles per litre. The samples most contaminated were found in the United States. In Europe, that seem to come out better than the other continents, the average density is less than 2 fibers per liter.

Contamination is ubiquitous

But where are these fibers ? Unsurprisingly, bottles, and plastic bags and all the waste that we dump in nature. But not only that. A washing machine can spread in the wastewater up to 700 000 of these fibres that fit into the composition of clothing.

Paintings of home, of road coverings, or hulls of a boat are concerned. Car tires, for wear, also contribute. A French study published in 2014 in the journal Environmental chemistery had shown that in the paris region, between 3 and 10 tonnes of microfibres of plastic fell each year of the sky.

The variety of products and origins can be found in the variety of fibres identified : polyethylene terephtalate (PET), polyethylene, PVC, polypropylene or polystyrene can be found in our glasses. Of petroleum products more or less dangerous. Polyethylene and PVC are endocrine disrupters, so that the polystyrene could be carcinogenic.