The report recommends that drinking-water suppliers and regulators prioritise removing disease-causing bacteria and harmful chemicals from the water supply, as that would also remove microplastics from drinking water.

The majority of plastic particles in water are larger than 150 micrometres in diameter and are excreted from the body, while "smaller particles are more likely to cross the gut wall and reach other tissues", it said.

The amount of microplastics contained in drinking water does not represent a health risk for those who ingest it. That study said the largest source of plastic ingestion was drinking water, but another major source was shellfish. Plastic bottles and caps that are used may also be sources of microplastics in drinking water, the report added.

A WHO report has said there is little evidence of microplastics harming human health, but this data black hole is a problem.

If microplastics were being swallowed day in and day out by humans all over the world, then health officials needed to know what that was doing to our bodies.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday the level of microplastics in drinking-water is not yet risky for humans but called for more research into potential future risk.

"For these smallest measurement particles, the place there's actually restricted proof, we want know extra about what's being absorbed, the distribution and their impacts", she stated.

Plastic fragments and fibres from synthetic fabrics were the most commonly found microplastics found in drinking water, the report found.

‘Protectionist bullying’: China denounces Trump administration’s latest tariff hikes
But White House aides claimed he engineered a late change to the summit schedule, adding economic issues to the agenda. China denies Trump's accusations of unfair trade practices and has resisted concessions to Washington .

Danish PM had ‘constructive conversation’ with Trump
The state department said it has already assigned a Greenlandic affairs officer working out of the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen. She also had said that Denmark does not own Greenland, which belongs to its people.

‘Frozen II’ Finally Gets Some Plot Details…And a New Song
In Frozen 2, however, we will see Anna and Elsa's parents once again in flashbacks. Frozen II breezes into United Kingdom cinemas on 22 November.

Based on a separate study conducted by the State University of NY in March past year, more than 90 percent of bottled water are contaminated with microplastic particles. World Health Organization said that microplastics larger than 150 micrometres are not likely to be absorbed by the human body but said the chance of absorbing very small microplastic particles, including nano-sized plastics, could be higher, although it said data is limited.

"Although we do not know what the levels of microplastics are in New Zealand drinking water, based on worldwide studies we may expect that the treatments used for the removal of microbiological contamination and turbidity of municipal supplies in New Zealand will be effective in also removing microplastics".

Microplastics are created when artificial materials break up into tiny particles smaller than about 5 millimeters, although there is still no strict scientific definition.

These fears are not grounded in science, according to the World Health Organization report, which summarises peer-reviewed research on the subject.

"Two billion people drink water that is faecally contaminated", said Dr Gordon.

It also gathered evidence on the potential health impacts from microplastic exposure and the removal of microplastics during wastewater and drinking-water treatment.

Dr Maria Neira, head of the department of public health, environment and social determinants at WHO, emphasised that swathes of the global population do not have access to effective water treatment infrastructure. However, microplastics are also found naturally across the environment in soil, air and water.