Here’s a very simple tip to remove microplastics from water – Ouest-France evening edition

Microplastics are everywhere. Bottled water will also have hundreds of thousands. Invisible to the naked eye, these small particles are difficult to remove. And yet. Chinese scientists have found a simple trick to overcome this problem. She is there.

They are in the clouds, in the ground, on top of mountains, in the placenta of pregnant women… In short, you get the idea, they are everywhere. According to a study published in the journal, humans ingest and inhale at least 74,000 microplastic particles each year. Environmental Science and Technology In 2019.

It is impossible to avoid it. Especially when water in plastic bottles contains a hundred times more small plastic particles than previously estimated: this is the result of a scientific study published in early 2024 that says so. Very small, microplastics are impossible to detect with the naked eye, as a result of the slow degradation of larger plastics. So how do you get rid of them if they are invisible?

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80% less microplastics

Scientists from China’s Jinan University had an idea. “Drinking boiled water, an ancient tradition in some Asian countries, is believed to be beneficial to human health because boiling can remove some chemicals and most organic matter.” They write in a summary of their study published in the journal in late February 2024 Environmental Science and Technology Letters.

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“Chinese researchers measured the concentration of small plastic particles in several water samplesMagazine explains International mail. The average was 1 mg per liter of water. This concentration, measured again after boiling the water for five minutes and then cooling, was reduced by 80%. » Simple, fast, effective. To purify water, simply boil it. “We estimate that exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics associated with tap water consumption is two to five times lower than normal tap water”

Eddie Zheng, one of the co-authors of the study, assured the English newspaper The new scientist.

An effective technique… in part

If the results are encouraging, they must be qualified. Elimination of microplastics mainly depends on water quality and composition. As part of their study, the researchers used “hard” water. That is, water with a high concentration of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. “At high enough temperatures, calcium carbonate (commonly found in tap water) solidifies, effectively encapsulating or “encrusting” the plastic particles and making them easier to remove through a simple filter like a coffee filter”, American newspaper details The Washington Post.

For those tempted to reproduce this method, scientists advise waiting 5 to 10 minutes after boiling so that the solids settle and the water cools. It is then possible to filter the deposits. Although attractive, this tip is not a miracle solution to getting rid of microplastics. Anja Brandon, deputy director of US plastics policy and environmental engineer at the Ocean Conservancy, recommends the US site Healthline

, avoid single-use plastic packaging, including water bottles, do not use plastic utensils and kitchen products, and do not put plastic containers in the dishwasher or microwave oven. She warns: “All these items can release plastic particles or release chemicals if used regularly and over a long period of time. »