Should I be worried about Microplastics in Water?

Are Microplastics something to worry about?

As the conversation around Microplastics grows, and more research is undertaken on the potential health risks, we take a closer look.

What are Microplastics?

'Microplastics' (MPs) is the general term used to describe the tiny bits of plastic - 5mm or less - that have made their way into to the ecosystem. But they actually come in a range of size categories: 

• Nanoplastics - 0.001 to 1 micron (1 to 1000 nanometres)
• Microplastics - 1 to 1000 micron (1000 nanometres to 1mm)
• Mesoplastics - 1 to 10 millimetres
• Macroplastics - bigger than 10mm

That said, there is no universally agreed size categorisation so it depends where you look. What is known is that these particles are being absorbed by marine life, starting with plankton. As far as human consumption goes, only the microscopic Nanoplastics have been found in the tap water we drink - the sizes smaller than viruses; anything larger is removed as part of the water treatment process. 

Where do 'Microplastics' come from?

Microplastics can be found in a wide range of things, especially consumer goods. They are used in cosmetics as exfoliating and polishing agents, glitters, and in makeup; in household and industrial detergents; in paints; in medicines as taste-masking elements, excipients, or active pharmaceutical ingredients; and they can contaminate food during cooking from equipment like heated plastic spatulas or nonstick pans. They also come from manmade clothing fibres and occur as plastic breaks down after disposal.

Should we be worried about Microplastics?

The latest research has found that Microplastics were able to block blood vessels inside mouse brains, 'essentially mimicking blood clots'. For the first time, researchers used real-time imaging to track the bits of plastic as they travelled through - and got stuck in - the blood vessels within the rodent brain. It was found that when one piece of plastic got stuck, the others gathered behind it 'like a car crash'. The researchers also saw that the mice that had been exposed to microplastics were found to have decreased motor functions.

While mounting evidence has linked microplastics to neurotoxicity in humans, this research is the first to suggest how – it probably reduces blood flow. But there's still more research to be done - and there's big difference between the size of the blood vessels in a mouse brain to the vessels in a human one. However, toxicologists are quick to point out that poison depends on the dosage, so we should be reducing exposure now, in case long term build-up within our organs and systems causes future issues.

How can I remove Microplastics from my water?

LifeSavers' products, including the Bottle and the Jerrycan currently use independently tested ultrafiltration membranes to purify wild water, which have pore sizes of approximately 15 nanometres. This allows them to remove any Microplastics and Nanoplastics above that size - 99.99%, along with 99.9999% bacteria (200 nanometres) and 99.99% viruses (20 nanometres).

It's the same technology that UK water providers use, so your tap water is unlikely to be improved by any extra filtration - other than improving the taste. However, when out in the wild, after purifying water from streams and rivers with a LifeSaver water filter bottle, you can be confident that you won't be ingesting many if any of the Microplastics (or other nasties) that may have been present.

What is the Microplastic Solution?

Scientists are scrambling to establish exactly what - if any - danger there is to humans when exposed to the smaller Nanoplastics, while the water industry explores ways of removing more or them from our water supply.

Until more is known, there's little any of us can do to reduce our exposure further. In the meantime, you can be sure that the LifeSaver Research & Development Team are also exploring ways of reducing our Microplastic consumption. We'll keep you updated of the progress they make.

Sources: 
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/11/microplastics-mice-brains?CMP=share_btn_url 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215016121003095