California is set to be the first state in the nation to test its drinking water for microplastics, after a unanimous vote from the state’s water regulator.
The State Water Resources Control Board approved a policy handbook on Wednesday that requires up to 30 of California’s largest water providers to begin testing for microplastics, starting in 2023. Microplastics can enter the environment from machine-washing synthetic clothing and the breakdown of certain plastics, and normal wastewater treatment plants aren’t able to filter them out.
Under the plan, sites including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Los Angeles Department of ...