Hidden in H2O helps young people understand microplastics in drinking water through research, awareness, and interactive learning.
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters—about the size of a pencil eraser or much smaller.
They can form when bottles, packaging, tires, and synthetic fabrics wear down. Because they are so small, they can move through rivers, lakes, oceans, soil, air, and the water cycle.
Scientific understanding is still evolving. Explore sources from NOAA, EPA, WHO, and USGS in our evidence database.
Every path turns a complex topic into something clear, memorable, and actionable.
Test what you know with instant feedback and earn a water-impact badge.
Start quiz → 02Follow one tiny particle from an everyday product to a school water fountain.
Begin journey → 03Search trusted research and explore what scientists are still working to understand.
Explore evidence →Follow one tiny plastic particle and discover how it can travel from everyday products into our drinking water.
Start journey ↓
Many everyday plastic products slowly wear down over time due to sunlight, weather, friction, and repeated use.
Ripple says: Let’s keep going—watch what happens next!
Heat, sunlight, and weather gradually break larger plastics into tiny pieces called microplastics.
Rainwater carries tiny plastic particles into storm drains that often lead to rivers and streams.
Microplastics continue moving through rivers and lakes while mixing with natural ecosystems.
Ripple says: We’re halfway there. Every ecosystem is connected.
Water treatment removes many contaminants, but the fate of very small particles depends on particle properties and treatment methods.
Treated water reaches schools through underground pipes and becomes available at drinking fountains and bottle-filling stations.
Learning about microplastics helps us make informed choices, reduce plastic pollution, and support cleaner drinking water for everyone.
Ripple says: You made it! Every choice makes a difference.
Understanding the journey of microplastics is the first step toward protecting cleaner water for future generations.
Test your knowledge about microplastics in drinking water.
Great job!
Search a curated starting point of trusted public resources. Each entry links directly to the organization that published it.
A clear introduction to plastic pieces smaller than five millimeters, where they come from, and why researchers study them.
Open NOAA resource ↗WHO’s critical review of occurrence, possible health implications, treatment, and important evidence gaps.
Open WHO report ↗EPA work on reliable sampling, characterization, quantification, and methods for studying health effects.
Open EPA research ↗An overview of USGS work to identify the type and quantity of microplastics in water, air, sediment, and animal life.
Open USGS report ↗Explore global marine microplastics records while reviewing the sampling and analysis metadata behind each dataset.
Open NCEI database ↗Learn how fragments, films, pellets, foam, and fibers enter aquatic environments from everyday materials.
Open NOAA guide ↗No resources match that search yet. Try a broader word such as “water,” “NOAA,” or “research.”
Cleaner water starts with informed choices. Choose one action today, then invite someone else to join you.
Use trusted scientific sources, notice uncertainty, and ask how each study collected and analyzed its samples.
Explore the evidence →Carry reusable bottles and bags, avoid unnecessary single-use items, and recycle according to local guidance.
Learn how your community treats water and support science-based monitoring, infrastructure, and pollution prevention.
Organize a cleanup, create a classroom awareness project, or share a trusted resource with your school community.
Choose durable products, refill when possible, and encourage businesses to reduce avoidable packaging.
Select a pledge and save it on this device.
We are a student-led initiative focused on helping young people understand microplastics in drinking water through clear research, awareness, and interactive learning.
Make an emerging environmental topic understandable, engaging, and relevant to the water students encounter every day.
Connect trusted sources with visual storytelling, interactive learning, and practical actions that students can share.
Separate established findings from open questions and encourage curiosity without using fear or overstating the science.
Have a school collaboration idea, a research resource, or feedback about the site? Send the Hidden in H2O team a message.
No. It is a student-led educational initiative that helps visitors explore information from established scientific and public-health organizations.
No. The site is educational. For questions about your local water, consult your water provider and relevant public-health authorities.
Yes. The journey and quiz are designed to spark discussion. Educators should review linked sources and adapt activities to their students.