Boiling Water Helps Eliminate Microplastic Threat

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Research gathered over the last several years shows that microplastics are in most of the world’s water. This includes the deepest parts of the ocean. Microplastics represent a danger to sea life and possibly the ability of oceans to cool the planet. A more frightening place where microplastics are found is in most drinking water. Scientists have come up with a drinking water solution–boiling.

Water Damage —Cruise Ships

Plastic Bottles —Plastic In The Water

In a new research paper titled “Drinking Boiled Tap Water Reduces Human Intake of Nanoplastics and Microplastics,” the authors describe the solution. “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.” (NMP is short for nano/microplastics.)

The Hill reports, “This means drinking tap water that has been boiled, something commonly done in East Asian kitchens already, may be a safer bet than drinking bottled water. “ Bottled water has been identified as a significant source of microplastic intake by humans.

A Real Danger?

One question the paper needs to address is the extent to which the presence of microplastics matters to human health. The WHO reports that the threat to human health is minor, although the research done so far is modest. In its “Microplastics in drinking-water” analysis, WHO scientists write, “Although there is insufficient information to draw firm conclusions on the toxicity related to the physical hazard of plastic particles, particularly for the nano-size particles, no reliable information suggests it is a concern.”

What is a reasonable conclusion to draw from these several pieces of research? Boil water. It is better to be safe than sorry.