Tiny plastic particles, called microplastics, have been detected in our air, food, bottled and tap water, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Now, researchers have found that a simple solution helps rid drinking water of nearly 90% of these potentially harmful particles.
In a new study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, scientists revealed that boiling and filtering water helped remove nearly 90% of the certain tiny plastic particles, which were found in 129 of 159 water samples taken from 14 countries.
Special: Dr. Brownstein: Eye-Opening Vision Formula Protects Eyesight
According to The Washington Post, the WHO says that there are a number of possible health risks from consuming these microplastics, but added that more research is needed to clarify the risks.
For the new study, professors Zhanjun Li and Eddy Y. Zeng of Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University respectively, discovered that boiling tap water, especially
“hard” water that contained minerals like calcium and magnesium, could help remove microplastics. At high temperatures, calcium carbonate crystalized and effectively encapsulated and trapped the microplastics, which could then be removed by simply pouring the water though a filter, such as a common coffee filter.
The researchers noted that since water quality differs greatly from region to region, more information is needed before prescribing this strategy across the board.
“This study is aimed to stimulate more studies,” they wrote. But they also noted that boiling water is essentially an easy way to remove not only microplastic particles but also other potentially harmful substances like microbes, parasites, and viruses. If you want to try this at home, wait five to 10 minutes after boiling the water to let it cool and then strain the liquid through a filter. This allows the solids to settle.
The study highlights the possibility that boiling tap water, something that is commonly done in East Asian kitchens, may be a safer bet than drinking bottled water.
Chris Reddy, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who wasn’t involved in the study, told the Post that he doesn’t think people need to start boiling all their drinking water, but is hopeful that the new research offers an easy solution to the microplastic problem.
“Are we going to go and vacuum up every piece of plastic that’s on the Earth already now? No,” Reddy said. “But I do think that we can make meaningful, broad scale change in how plastic is potentially impacting our present.”