Microplastics in tap water: where we stand in 2026

The WHO 2019 report (reaffirmed in later updates) concluded that microplastics in drinking water currently show no demonstrable health risk, while calling for more research.

Notably, studies by the SUNY (2018) and Columbia University (2024) found on average more plastic particles in bottled water than in tap — packaging itself releases particles.

To limit exposure further: choose tap over bottled, or use an activated-carbon block or reverse-osmosis filter certified to NSF/ANSI 401.

Sources: WHO 'Microplastics in drinking-water' (2019); Mason et al. (2018); Qian et al. (2024, PNAS).