Evaluation of micro- and nanoplastics in Canadian drinking water, their role as vectors of pathogen and chemical transport and associated health risks

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Drinking water treatment is conducted to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants prior to consumption. Regulations have been implemented across Canada to reduce health risks and ensure clean, safe drinking water is provided to consumers. Micro- and nanoplastics have recently been identified in limited studied of treated drinking waters from around the world, posing an unknown risk to consumers. Microplastics are defined as synthetic polymers between 1 and 5,000 µm in size; nanoplastics represent particles which measure <1 µm. Although it has been widely accepted that many source waters are irreversibly contaminated with micro- and nanoplastics, their removal by conventional and advanced water treatment processes employed across Canada is poorly understood. As such, the potential health impacts associated with the consumption of these particles is currently unknown. The proposed research will examine the concentration and characteristics of micro- and nanoplastics in raw (untreated) and treated water at facilities across Canada. Following this initial data collection, the emphasis of this research will be to fill the knowledge gap associated with the potential health impacts related to consumption of micro- and nanoplastics in drinking water. It has been hypothesized that plastic particles may transport chemical and biological (e.g. pathogen) contaminants. This research will serve to quantify chemical sorption to and characterize biofilm development and composition on virgin and environmentally weathered plastic particles of various sizes. Contaminants extracted from the micro- and nanoplastics will also be examined through a series of cell-based bioassays to evaluate potential toxicity pathways. This research represents the most comprehensive known examination of micro- and nanoplastics in Canadian drinking water and will provide an in-depth evaluation of chemical and biological contamination on plastics.