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Remove microplastics from drinking water by using boiling method and filters�
Microplastics are everywhere, even inside your body. Health hazards from plastic debris aren’t fully avoidable, but you can still stop it from entering your system.
While one study from earlier this year found microplastics in “every human placenta tested”, another research published around the same time demonstrates an easy method to eliminate it from drinking water.
Simple kitchen hack can remove microplastic from potable water
Research led by the team from Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University in China discovered an easy way to eliminate plastic debris from soft and hard tap water.
They added nanoplastics and microplastics into drinking water before boiling it and filtering out the remains. They found in some “up to 90 percent of the NMPs were removed by the boiling and filtering,” reports Science Alert.
Even though the effectiveness of the method may vary with different types of water, it’s still convenient and safer than drinking water directly from the tap.
You don’t need to burn a hole in your pocket with a fancy water filter. Using a kettle to boil the liquid, and then filtering it through a stainless steel mesh�in your kitchen does the job.
“This simple boiling water strategy can ‘decontaminate’ NMPs from household tap water and has the potential for harmlessly alleviating human intake of NMPs through water consumption,” the researcher wrote in the published paper.
How boiling the water removes toxins
Tiny plastic can get into our bodies in different forms. They are present in water bottles, food containers, and pretty much anything made of plastic. Scientists recommend boiling the water for two to five minutes before drinking as it can reduce the microplastics to a great extent.
As for how it works, a chemical reaction occurs in the water when its temperature is increased significantly. Boiling hard water creates limescale – the chalky white layer commonly seen inside the kettle.
As the chalky layer composed of calcium carbonate changes, it forms little crystals, which wrap around the free-floating microplastics and trap them in a crust.
The boiling and filtering technique doesn’t make the plastic disappear or reduce its impact on health. It only helps eliminate it from potable water.
