Since the recent reports by OrbMedia that found microplastics in 83% of tap water and 92% of bottled water. Vic Minett on the mid-morning show received a question on the show asking three questions related to this issue to Magnus Jern, founder and head of strategy at TAPP Water.
Here’s a short summary of the interview:
BBC: What are microplastics?
Magnus: Pieces of plastic smaller than 5mm and mostly smaller than the eye can see. Microplastics have been found pretty much everywhere including the oceans, fish, microorganisms, tap water and even bottled water.
A study by Orb Media found microplastics in 90% of all bottled water with some as high as 10,000 plastic pieces per liter and 83% of all tap water across Europe and North America.
BBC: Where do they come from?
Magnus: The main sources of microplastics are single-use plastics (bottles, wipes, cotton buds, plastic bags, etc), rubber from car tires and microfibers from clothes. Plastics end up in the water systems from landfills, roads and your washing machine at home.
BBC: Are microplastics dangerous?
Magnus: They are certainly not good. We’ve found that they can kill microorganisms in the oceans and severely damage the organs of fish. Therefore microplastics are probably not good for humans either.
BBC: How can you remove microplastics from tap water?
Magnus: There are several water filters that could potentially remove microplastics with TAPP 2 specifically designed to do this. Look for a filter with a micron rating of 2 or below to be on the safe side.
Thank you BBC for inviting us to the show!
Menú
