Sacred springs of South Africa: pure waters or polluted? We found tiny bits of plastic in the samples we tested

Across South Africa, natural springs are more than sources of freshwater.

Some are places of healing, spiritual cleansing and rituals, where communities collect water and maintain longstanding cultural connections with the environment.

For example, during cleansing rituals, people bathe in or collect spring water as a way of seeking spiritual renewal, healing and protection.

These are known as sacred springs.

We are a team of environmental scientists and freshwater biologists interested in water quality, freshwater biodiversity and disturbances.

Read more: Sacred sites in South Africa can protect natural heritage and culture: here’s how We set out to investigate an emerging form of pollution – microplastics – in nine sacred, unique and highly visited freshwater springs in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa.

We selected these springs because they are locally recognised as culturally and spiritually important, but before this study, scientists had not yet investigated whether they were polluted or not.

These sacred freshwater springs are quite remote and isolated.

But still, our research found microplastics in all nine.

We detected 184 particles in total, with concentrations ranging from 5 to 48 particles per litre.

There is no internationally agreed safe level of microplastics in fresh water or drinking water, so these concentrations cannot be described simply as “safe” or “unsafe”.

Results also vary because researchers use different methods to collect and test samples.

A one-litre sample from these springs could therefore contain anywhere from just a handful to dozens of tiny plastic particles.

Read more: Nigeria’s sacred Osun River supports millions of people - but pollution is making it unsafe So although we cannot use this number alone to say whether the water is harmful to people, it shows that microplastic pollution is present and gives scientists a starting point for tracking whether the problem increases or decreases over time.