The right kind of filter can keep microplastics out of drinking water

Only less than 10 percent of all the plastic that has been produced globally, has been recycled. Plastic does not decompose; it only breaks down into smaller pieces – microplastics and nano plastics that can contaminate soil and water. And this is one of the biggest environmental dilemmas.

So far, microplastics have been found in water sources like lake water, groundwater, and tap water, and they likely contain the even tinier nano plastics too. In fact, studies have identified nano plastics in tap water in China, lake water in Switzerland, and even ice samples in the Northern and Southern polar regions. However, the full extent of tiny plastic contamination of drinking water sources has yet to be known because it is challenging to detect them, which can make it more difficult to address the problem.

Microplastics were recently found in human blood and living lung tissues for the first time, but their effects on human health are not yet fully understood. 

Regardless of any risk considerations, it is unwise to release enormous amounts of non-biodegradable, synthetic material into the environment—which results in micro- and nano-plastic particles.