Publishing an article by faculty members of Zabol University in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports, part of the Nature subgroup publications series

According to the Public Relations Department of Zabol University, an article by the faculty members of the University's Water Engineering Department was published in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports from the Nature Subgroup Publication Series entitled "Investigation of heavy metals adsorbed on microplastics in drinking water and water resources of Zabol". This article was published by Dr. Jamshid Piri (Assistant Professor of the Water Engineering Department of the Water and Soil Research Institute) in collaboration with researchers from Iran (Zabol University of Medical Sciences and Kerman University of Medical Sciences) and Slovakia. In this study, the presence of microplastics (fine plastic particles) and their absorption of heavy metals in drinking water and water resources in the region, including the Chah-e-Nimeh reservoirs, was investigated. The results showed that common polymers such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polyamide and polypropylene are present in the water and have adsorbed heavy metals such as iron (with the highest concentration, about 85 micrograms per liter in the distribution network), manganese, zinc, copper and nickel to their surfaces. The study also found that microplastics in the water distribution network were mostly smaller (50–100 μm) than in the reservoirs (500–1,000 μm), which could be a result of water treatment processes. Given that concentrations of some heavy metals, such as arsenic and manganese, in the distribution network water exceeded the permissible limits recommended by the World Health Organization, this study highlights the health and environmental risks posed by microplastics as carriers of toxic pollutants and highlights the need to improve water treatment processes and monitor water quality more closely.
Article access link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-99403-z