Plastic is in more than 80% of tap water around the world

.Researchers who tested tap water from around the world found that more than 80% of the samples contained microscopic-sized plastic fibers — including from President Trump’s New York City home, they said. The contamination is particularly high in the United States, where 94% of faucet water is affected, including in samples from the U.S. Capitol and the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency.According to the study, commissioned by the data journalism website Orb and conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota, the highest rates of contamination was found in Lebanon and India, while the lowest occurred in Europe, where 72% of samples contained fibers. Orb said scientists believe that most of the tiny fibers originate from clothes, upholstery and carpets, including particles released by the actions of washing machines and dryers. According to a U.K. study, each cycle of a washing machine could release more than 700,000 microscopic plastic particles, The Guardian reported. According to Orb, such material, known as microplastics, has been shown to absorb toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other illnesses, which are then released when consumed by fish, farm animals and humans.