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2024-11-11

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Boiling tap water may be solution to microplastics (thehill.com)

submitted 8 months ago by yokonzo@lemmy.world to c/science@lemmy.world

34 comments fedilink hide all child comments

In the study, scientists put the three plastic compounds into ‘hard water’ — a common type of U.S. freshwater that contains high levels of calcium carbonate and magnesium

When the plastic-containing water was boiled, these calcium carbonates formed tiny clumps around most of the microscopic plastics, trapping them within and rendering them harmless.

The report comes with significant caveats, however.

Scientists only looked at three of the most common — and in the case of polyethylene and polypropylenes, the safest — plastic polymers. They didn’t look at vinyl chloride, for example, a compound of serious concern last month’s study found in bottled water.

Boiling also didn’t manage to remove all of the polymers.

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[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 59 points 8 months ago (5 children)

It isn't really a solution, it just encases them in calcium. The plastic is still in there.

When the plastic-containing water was boiled, these calcium carbonates formed tiny clumps around most of the microscopic plastics, trapping them within and rendering them harmless.

The effectiveness may also depend on the type of water and its mineral content.

[–] deranger@lemmy.world 70 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

It is no longer in solution, it precipitated out. This could very well be used to reduce microplastics in water.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00081

Seems like boiling hard water followed by filtration would do the trick. Decanting after letting the water sit for a while, to allow precipitates to fall to the bottom, could work also.

[–] fraksken@infosec.pub 6 points 8 months ago

If my water supply would be pre-boiled, I would be so happy!

[–] echutaa@programming.dev 19 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Fun fact calcium carbonate dissolves quickly in acidic solutions, like say stomach acid.

[–] deranger@lemmy.world 54 points 8 months ago (2 children)

You’re not supposed to drink the flocculated plastic particles. You still have to decant or filter the boiled water; this just makes it easier to remove the microplastics by increasing the particle size.

[–] echutaa@programming.dev 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Seems like a lot of work compared to just using an ro filter, but I also live in an area where you shouldn’t drink the tap because of the crap they put in it.

[–] XTornado@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

the crap they put in it.

As in actively put in??? Or as in industries or similar dumping stuff into the river or similar?

[–] echutaa@programming.dev 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yea they intentionally add chloramines which have a range of health issues, but it kills the biohazards so they do it to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

[–] XTornado@lemmy.ml 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Ah ok. Isn't that super common? Or they put very high levels where you are?

[–] echutaa@programming.dev 1 points 8 months ago

I think it is pretty common, they definitely push the limits on what should be used in my area. Last year I used tap run through a sediment and 2 carbon blocks to fill a small pond and the ammonia levels through that were above 10mg/l, I didn’t bother diluting to get the actual level since that’s already exceptionally toxic for anything with aquatic animals.

[–] thefartographer@lemm.ee 5 points 8 months ago

Forbidden flavor crystals

[–] yokonzo@lemmy.world 8 points 8 months ago

True, i do like that this article is very clear this is not a fix all solution. What's important is that we've learned a bit more to build our knowledge off next time

[–] yumpsuit@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

On the bright side, you can make a fun piece of chalk with jawbreaker-style color flecks that can be used to draw a forensic outline around your carcass after the DuPont sponsored social murder.