published
PollutionBoiling water removes almost all microplastics
These tiny particles invade everything. Good news, an old method of purifying water.
- by
- Michelle Prolong
If the water is hard enough, calcium carbonate hardens at high temperatures and traps microplastics.
20 min/Vanessa Lam
In countries and regions where the water may contain bacteria, viruses and parasites, boiling water removes them. For many years, the source of pollution has invaded everything: soil, food, clouds and, of course, water. These are microplastics. These debris less than 5 mm long are difficult to detect and remove.
Their exact effect on health is not yet well defined, although we know that some can cause inflammation, oxidative stress or kill cells like polystyrene. Nothing too encouraging.
5 minutes of boiling is enough
Chinese scientists wanted to see if the good old method of boiling water was effective against microplastics. They sampled tap water containing several common minerals as well as three microplastic compounds: polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene, they explained. LiveScience. They also change the hardness of the water by adjusting the concentration of calcium carbonate.
The results were very conclusive: according to a study published in “ACS Publications”, after boiling for 5 minutes and then cooling, there were very few microplastics in the water. In the hardest waters, they drop to at least 80%, as calcium carbonate solidifies at high temperatures, trapping plastic particles inside. Simply filter the water afterwards to remove these solid residues.
So boiling water is always a good idea.
