- by croatiaweek
- July 18, 2026
-
in
News
Croatia has recorded its first national data on microplastics in water intended for human consumption, establishing a reference point for future monitoring and comparison with results across Europe.
The findings, produced by the Josip Juraj Strossmayer Institute for Water and included in the Croatian Institute of Public Health’s 2025 Report on the Health Safety of Water Intended for Human Consumption in the Republic of Croatia, show an average concentration of 0.144 particles of priority polymers per litre of treated water and water from the distribution network.
This is equivalent to approximately one microplastic particle per seven litres of water.
The results were obtained through research monitoring carried out in line with the European methodology for monitoring microplastics in drinking water.
The national report notes that Croatia’s results are comparable to or lower than values reported in available European research, where concentrations range from approximately 0.9 to 2 particles per litre.
However, direct comparisons should be treated with caution, as results can vary significantly depending on the size of particles measured and the analytical methods used.
Officials have stressed that the significance of the findings lies not only in the measured concentration, but also in the establishment of Croatia’s first national reference value based on a common European methodology.
This creates a basis for monitoring changes over time and comparing future results using consistent and scientifically comparable methods.
As part of the research, the Institute also analysed raw water in addition to carrying out the measurements required under the European methodology. This made it possible, for the first time, to track changes in microplastic concentrations throughout the water treatment process.
The monitoring showed that, in the water supply systems examined that use surface water sources, the number of microplastic particles was reduced by an average of 94.7% during treatment.
The first national results have attracted considerable public and media attention in Croatia, highlighting growing interest in the monitoring of emerging indicators of water quality.
The Institute said it would continue developing national monitoring of new water-quality indicators, as well as the professional and laboratory capacity needed to apply advanced European monitoring methods.
The results are expected to provide a foundation for the continued assessment and protection of Croatia’s water resources, with future decisions increasingly supported by reliable, comparable and scientifically based data.
