Various reports about issues with bottled water – such as last month’s (February 2024) revelation that some mineral waters had undergone non-disclosed purification treatments – are prompting many consumers to drink tap water.
But in many areas tap water may contain microplastics, which are considered harmful to health.
To reduce the amount of microplastic we may be taking in, Chinese scientists recommend boiling water before drinking it.
Boiling water can be a powerful tool in food hygiene and preventing contamination from various sources, as boiling water allows bacteria, viruses and parasites to be neutralised.
When it comes to microplastics, the process of boiling water also has positive effects.
According to research conducted at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, and published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, levels of nano/microplastics (NMPs) in tap water can be reduced by at least 80% by boiling the water for at least five minutes.
The researchers took samples of tap water to measure their polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene content.
They then heated the samples and left them to cool.
“We estimated that intakes of NMPs through boiled water consumption were two to five times less than those through drinking tap water on a daily basis,” co-study author and the university’s School of Environment dean Professor Dr Eddy Y. Zeng told New Scientist magazine.
By heating the water, the microplastics essentially get trapped “in crystalline structures of limescale [i.e. calcium carbonate] formed from the calcium in the water,” he explained – something that will likely be of interest to anyone who drinks tap water on a regular basis. – AFP Relaxnews
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