PUMPS, WASTE MANAGEMENT, WATER TREATMENT & PIPED SERVICES
Microplastics from plastic pipes can affect our health
Safe Piping Matters, an organisation dedicated to providing the best information on safe, resilient and sustainable piping systems, has released a new report which reveals how plastic pipes are a significant source of microplastics in drinking water systems. The Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) spoke to Paul Hagar from Safe Piping Matters to discuss the results of the report and just what this means for the construction industry
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he report – titled ‘Plastic Pipes, Microplastics & Impacts on Human Health’ – delves into which types of plastic pipes pose risks and just what the health impacts of microplastics are.
What are microplastics? Microplastics are just as they sound – tiny pieces of plastic. Plastic fragments that are 0.1 microns to 5 millimetres in diameter are defined as microplastics and those smaller than 0.1 microns are defined as nanoplastics. Most of them come from plastic pollution in our environment – the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe. When they get into our bodies, mainly through the digestive and respiratory systems, they can cause inflammation, disease and other health issues.
Why should the construction and plumbing industries be concerned about microplastics? We are seeing an increasing number of research studies that show plastic pipes represent potential sources of contamination
in drinking water. And it’s more than just microplastics – many other studies also show how plastic pipes leach chemicals and volatile organic compounds into water. These are concerns that the industry needs to consider, especially given the lessons they should have learned from toxic leaching of lead into water systems. Our mission at Safe Piping Matters is to track the ways plumbing systems protect our health – and the ways they can fail to do so – and inform industry professionals about the dangers of certain materials.
How can microplastics get into drinking water systems? An analysis by Polish researchers shows that plastic pipes deteriorate over time, releasing tiny shards of plastic into water. Plastic pipes in homes, schools and businesses that shed microplastics will contaminate the water we consume, entering our bodies mainly through the gut.
Studies show that the particles can then move
throughout the body. Microplastics have been found in human blood and breast milk, and studies of mice show that plastic fragments can even pass the blood-brain barrier.
Aren’t there water treatment technologies to remove microplastics from drinking water? Yes – as plastic pollution has increased (an estimated 700 times since 1950), many water-treatment systems have put filtration and processing systems in place to remove microplastics contaminating drinking water. These are relatively effective at removing
microplastic contamination from water sources but, after water passes through treatment systems, it is generally not treated or filtered further. This means people can be exposed to contamination from plastic distribution pipes that are “downstream” of water sources.
Which type of plastic pipes have been found to be a source of microplastics in drinking water systems? The same study from Poland shows that the interior surfaces of both PVC and PE drinking water pipes show significant deterioration. Our new report includes photos they took of the damage, showing microscopic pits and tears caused by chemical, physical and microbial
28 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER APRIL 2024
effects. Their research observed damage occurring in a relatively short period of time – sometimes in as few as four years.
What health implications does this have for people drinking water with microplastics in? Microplastic particles have physical and chemical properties that can create serious health impacts on the gut, lungs and brain, amplifying inflammation, spontaneous cell death and carcinogenesis. They can also affect reproductive systems, affecting fertility and increasing malformation of sperm cells. Because of their relatively large surface area, these plastic fragments also attract heavy metals and chemical compounds, as well as pathogens that can cause disease. The full health impacts are still being measured – we will no doubt learn more over time.
Do microplastics affect the environment? Yes – microplastics are everywhere in our environment, from the highest reaches of our atmosphere to the depths of the ocean. Plastics are useful compounds, but we are over-using them, with consequences whose negative effects are unknown.
What we do know is that plastics affect the chemical and physical makeup of air, water and soil, with noticeable impacts on plants and animals, as well as humans.
What can construction and plumbing professionals do to protect drinking water from microplastics? They can opt more stable piping materials such as copper. Copper is completely natural so doesn’t emit contaminants or synthetic compounds into drinking water, and it also has naturally occurring anti-bacterial properties which discourage the growth of harmful organisms. If plumbers are unable to avoid installing plastic pipes, they should install a filtering system to reduce the amount of microplastic exposure. Options include ceramic filters, reverse osmosis and some carbon filters. Building occupants should also check what size particles the system is rated to capture, and what maintenance is required to keep it functioning correctly. To read the full Safe Piping Matters report, please visit:
www.safepipingmatters.org/plastic- pipes-microplastics-impacts-on-human-health
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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