Recent research has found that an average of each liter of tap water contains about 1 mg of microplastics and nanoplastics. After boiling for 5 minutes and allowing it to cool, more than 80% of the plastic content has been removed.
Researchers recently identified a practical, inexpensive, and effective method to reduce microplastics and ultra-fine nanoplastics in tap water.
Most people around the world are accustomed to drinking tap water or bottled water, inadvertently overlooking the potential risks of ingesting microplastics and nanoplastics. – (Photo illustration: AFP).
Microplastics and Nanoplastics (plastic particles measuring 100 nanometers or smaller) are ubiquitous on Earth. They are also found in food and can enter the human body through respiratory and digestive systems, posing health risks.
The recent study led by scientist Eddy Zeng from Tianjin University in China and his colleagues found that boiling tap water for 5 minutes can eliminate over 80% of the contaminating plastic particles.
Drinking boiled and cooled water is a common practice in Asia; however, a significant number of people worldwide are used to drinking tap or bottled water, inadvertently overlooking the potential risks of ingesting microplastics and nanoplastics (NMP).
The research team measured the amount of NMP in tap water and discovered that, on average, each liter of water contains about 1 mg of NMP. After boiling the tap water samples for 5 minutes and letting them cool, they found that over 80% of the NMP had been removed.
“We estimate that the amount of NMP absorbed through boiled water is 2 to 5 times less than that from daily tap water,” Zeng told New Scientist.
According to the research team, boiling is a simple yet effective way to “decontaminate” NMP in household tap water.
During boiling, NMP adheres to the calcium sediment produced from calcium in the water. This means that boiling will help remove microplastic particles more effectively in hard water, which has a higher calcium content. The study indicates that boiling hard water containing 300 mg of calcium carbonate can reduce about 90% of the NMP in the water.
