Physical Characterization of Microplastic Pollutants in Groundwater

Abstract

The rapid urbanization and growth of the population have led to both the ever-increasing demand for water consumption and in tandem the levels of water pollution in Malaysia. Rapid development has produced great amounts of human waste including domestic and industrial which inevitably ends up in the water resources. Contamination of microplastic (MP) pollutants in groundwater has been a huge concern nowadays since groundwater often becomes a source of drinking water. Therefore, these MP (plastic particles < 5 mm) are concerned with having a negative health impact on human health through the consumption of drinking water that has been contaminated. While MPs in groundwater likely affect human health, only a handful of studies have examined the abundance and movement of MPs in groundwater. Because of that, this study was done in two different sampling stations of groundwater that were sources of drinking water. This study indicates a total of 182 microplastics were found in the sampled groundwater. Physical characterization has been done and they were divided into four categories according to their shapes. Fibers clearly prevailed in all water samples. Despite 10 different colors of the microplastics being identified, most of the MPs are comprised of transparent plastics. Moreover, polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) were found to be predominant in the water samples. This study contributes to filling the knowledge gap in the field of emerging microplastic pollution in drinking water sources specifically groundwater, which is of concern due to the potential exposure of MPs to humans.