Tiny plastics in drinking water may help harmful bacteria thrive

If you’ve followed the growing conversation around plastic pollution, you’ve probably heard of microplastics. They are tiny fragments of plastic found in oceans, soils, food, and even the human body. But there’s an even smaller, less visible category that’s now drawing attention: Nanoplastics. And new research suggests they don’t just affect what we ingest; they may also quietly complicate how we keep our drinking water safe.A recent study led by Virginia Tech researcher Jingqiu Liao looked at how nanoplastics interact with bacteria and viruses in drinking water systems. What exactly are nanoplastics? The findings point to a subtle but unsettling possibility: these microscopic particles can help harmful microbes survive and resist disinfection, making them harder to control.What are nanoplastics?Nanoplastics are a subset of microplastics. While microplastics can be seen under a basic microscope, nanoplastics are far smaller; they are roughly 1 to 1,000 nanometers in size.