Boiling tap water for just five minutes can remove up to 90% of the microplastics it contains, according to a research finding. As studies repeatedly show that some bottled water products contain more microplastics than tap water, "boiling tap water" appears to be a viable alternative.
A joint research team from Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University in China recently published a paper analyzing the effect of boiling tap water on microplastic removal in the international journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
The research team set up a contamination experiment group by mixing nano- and microplastics made of polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP) into tap water samples from the Guangzhou area. The water was boiled at 100 degrees Celsius for five minutes, then left to cool for 10 minutes. Using a flow cytometer and a fluorescence imaging system, the team precisely measured changes in concentration before and after heating.
According to the research team, boiling tap water vigorously for about five minutes causes dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium to begin clumping together. This produces white powder-like residue (calcium carbonate) at the bottom of the kettle.
The key lies in the process of the calcium carbonate residue clumping together. When the mineral components clump, they form a lattice structure that acts like a sticky capsule or a fine mesh net. At this point, invisible microplastic particles become trapped in this natural mineral net.
The cleaning effect on plastics varied depending on how much mineral content the water contained. When tap water with high mineral content such as calcium and magnesium (hard water) was boiled, as much as 90% of the microplastics disappeared. Because there were many mineral capsules to catch the plastics, the cleaning effect was correspondingly clear. When soft water, which has a smooth taste due to its low mineral content, was boiled, about 25% of the microplastics were filtered out.
The method the research team proposed for drinking microplastic-free tap water is simple. Put tap water in a kettle and boil it for five minutes, then leave it to cool and pour off only the clear water that floats on top. If you are uncomfortable about the residue settled at the bottom mixing in, you can filter the water once through a paper filter used for brewing coffee. This allows you to completely filter out even the impurities at the bottom.
Microplastics in Bottled Water, Triple That of Tap Water
Meanwhile, there is also a research finding that nano- and microplastic particles in bottled water average three times more than in tap water. According to a comparative analysis by a research team at Ohio State University of bottled water from six brands and tap water from four water treatment plants in Ohio, an average of 6 million nano- and microplastic particles per liter were detected in the bottled water. Tap water was at the level of 2 million particles per liter. The plastic content of the cleanest bottled water was at a similar level to the most contaminated tap water.
Dr. Megan Jamieson Hart, who led the study, suggested, "Drink tap water instead of bottled water," adding that "the best method is to filter tap water and drink it from glass or stainless steel bottles."
"I paid money on purpose to drink bottled water"... Drink it for a year and you swallow 90,000 microplastics
