Chennai: Researchers have stated that plastic waste that escapes from the water filtering system in Chennai might end up in production of drinking water. As per the study, 6 pieces of plastic are found in every 1 litre of water in Red Hills reservoir on an average while an average of 27 particles are found in every 1 kilogram of sediment in the lake. The pieces of plastic that are found in the water are not visible and are capable of percolating into drinking water through garbage and sewage.
The other reservoirs in the city could also have had microplastics as water bodies in the city are surrounded by densely populated areas where plastic waste is generated in large amounts. As per the study, heavy metals like iron, sodium, silicon, titanium, potassium, magnesium and calcium were found on the surface of microplastics that could have absorbed them. One of the researchers said that Chennai residents either use water directly or boil it before drinking it. In the case of boiling, the toxicity of the water increases as the metals get released into the water.
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