Microplastic detection in freshwater ecosystems and drinking water

Microplastic contamination of freshwater ecosystems and drinking water is a topical area of plastic pollution investigations. Considering the potential harmful effects of plastic particles, there is a significant need to better understand fate and possible sources of microplastic intake by humans to assess quantities and risks related to their properties. This talk will assess the sampling and extraction techniques of microplastic from an ongoing case study at the river Ticino, where surface water, sediment, fish and macroinvertebrate samples were sampled in order to report the fate of microplastic with the length of the river. Also the results of an analysis of plastic bottled drinking water will be presented. Microplastics were found in water from all analysed brands. Moreover, chances of microplastic ingestion by humans increase with frequent use of the same single‐use plastic bottle as a considerable number of particles was detected on the surface of plastic bottlenecks and caps.