As the world marks World Water Day 2026 under the theme “Water and Gender Equality,” research from The University of the South Pacific (USP) has established the first baseline evidence of microplastics in Fiji’s drinking water, highlighting an opportunity for early and informed action.
The findings add to growing global evidence of plastic pollution as an emerging environmental and public health concern.
Led by Associate Professor David Rohindra with researchers Roselyn Lata, Timaima Waqainabete, and Steven Aru, the USP team conducted the first baseline assessment of microplastic contamination across multiple drinking water sources in Fiji, including tap water, groundwater, rainwater and bottled water.
Their work, published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment in 2025, found that tiny plastic particles, less than 5 millimetres in size, are present in water that Fijians consume every day.
The study found microplastic concentrations ranging from 0.10 ± 0.03 to 2.90 ± 0.57 particles per litre in tap water, with bottled water also showing variable contamination and some brands containing up to 2.20 ± 0.41 particles per litre.
Rainwater, by contrast, recorded the lowest levels at 0.20 ± 0.05 particles per litre, indicating lower exposure.
The detected levels remain below critical pollution thresholds, although global standards for microplastics in drinking water are still evolving.
The team stresses that this provides an important opportunity to act early.
Safe, reliable water is the starting point for healthier, more equal communities.
Our findings show that people of Fiji are ingesting microplastics through drinking water, and this highlights the need for enhanced monitoring, treatment and public awareness to safeguard both people and ecosystems.
Associate Professor Rohindra noted.
He adds that this baseline should be seen as an opportunity to act – rather than a cause for panic.
We are still below critical thresholds, which means we have a window of time to respond wisely.
If we strengthen our water systems now, we can protect our people, especially women and children, from bearing the heaviest costs of future pollution.
Rohindra emphasised.
The presence of microplastics in drinking water is not only a scientific issue – it is also a question of equity.
In many Pacific Island communities, women and girls are responsible for securing, managing and using water for households, health care, food preparation and hygiene.
When water sources are polluted or unreliable, the burden of coping – walking longer distances, spending more time boiling or treating water, caring for sick family members – falls excessively on them.
Research such as USP’s microplastics baseline study can help guide policies and investments to reduce this challenge and promote more equitable results.
When water is unsafe, it is often women who must find alternatives, stretch already limited resources and care for the sick.
By making our water safer, we are directly supporting gender equality and easing the invisible workload carried by women and girls.
Associate Professor Rohindra explained.
While this first study focuses on Fiji, its implications extend across the region.
Pacific Island countries share many of the same vulnerabilities: small and fragile catchments, growing urban centres, limited waste management systems, and heavy reliance on surface and groundwater sources that are increasingly exposed to plastic pollution.
USP’s research situates Fiji within a global and regional context where microplastics are now found from mountaintops to deep ocean trenches.
The results underscore the importance of protecting water catchment areas, especially those near densely populated or industrial zones where microplastic loads tend to be higher before water even reaches treatment plants.
For Pacific governments and utilities, the research findings highlight the need to integrate microplastics into routine water quality monitoring and to strengthen cross-border learning on regulation, treatment technologies and community awareness.
As the region advances the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, ensuring that “where water flows, equality grows” becomes a lived reality will depend on evidence-based decisions such as these.
As research on health impacts continues, there are already practical steps that households, communities and institutions can take to reduce exposure to microplastics and protect water quality.
At the household level:
- Use certified water filters (for example, filters that are tested to remove fine particles) where possible, and maintain them according to manufacturer guidelines.
- Prioritise protected rainwater harvesting systems, ensuring tanks are covered, regularly cleaned, and connected to clean roof catchments.
- Reduce single-use plastics at home, properly dispose of plastic waste, and avoid burning plastics, which can create other pollutants.
At the community level:
- Support local clean-up campaigns around rivers, streams and coastal areas to prevent plastic litter from entering water sources.
- Work with local leaders, schools and churches to educate communities about plastic pollution, the importance of protecting catchments, and simple water safety practices.
- Encourage village and settlement committees to discuss low-cost filtration and rainwater solutions, and to share local knowledge about safe water sources.
At the policy and institutional level, USP sees its role as a long-term partner in solutions.
USP can help our communities not only by diagnosing the problem but by co-designing the solutions.
We are ready to work with governments, utilities and communities on better monitoring, new treatment options and awareness programmes across the region.
Associate Professor Rohindra.
Beyond monitoring, the USP team is also exploring innovative ways to remove microplastics from the aquatic environment.
Building on the Pacific’s long tradition of using marine resources wisely, the researchers are developing a hydrogel derived from waste crab shells that can capture and remove microplastics from water.
If successful, this low-cost, locally sourced technology could offer Pacific Island countries a home-grown solution to a global problem, transforming fisheries waste into a tool for environmental protection and water security.
It is a powerful example of how Pacific science and innovation can help deliver not only on World Water Day’s call to action, but also on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and broader ocean and climate commitments.
It is important that the solutions come from the Pacific as well.
By turning our own waste into part of the answer, we show that small islands can lead in big global challenges.
Associate Professor Rohindra highlighted.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for more research into the human health impacts of microplastics, noting potential chemical, physical and microbial risks.
USP’s study adds critical Pacific evidence to the global understanding of microplastics. It underscores the need to connect environmental monitoring with public health surveillance, including investigations into emerging illnesses that may be linked to microplastic ingestion.
On World Water Day 2026, the message from the Pacific is clear: when we protect our water, we protect our people – and we create the conditions for equality, opportunity and dignity to grow wherever that water flows.