Kitchen Hack Stops 90% of Microplastics Flooding Your Tap Water
We all need water to live.
But these days, each gulp could come with a side of plastic!
Microscopic specks, known as microplastics, infiltrate far and wide—from ocean waves to glacial ice. Now they’re flooding into tap water as well.
While health impacts remain murky, common sense says ingesting plastic regularly is NOT beneficial.
But don’t resort to endless plastic water bottles either! Today you’ll learn a simple at-home method to purge microplastics from your H20.
Experts trace many microplastics in drinking water back to surface runoff. Rainwater passes over land, washing debris from roads and soil, into lakes and groundwater.
Treatment plants weren’t designed to filter out these tiny terrors. So, when contaminated supplies flow through pipes into homes, microplastics hitch a ride straight to your faucet.
And we’re talking bits measuring less than 1/1000 of a millimeter—totally invisible to the naked eye until clumping together. Talk about taking water “contamination” to a whole new level!
While no current filtration completely eliminates microplastics, researchers recently discovered an effective DIY method using stuff you already own.
Simply boil tap water for 5 minutes—then allow it to fully cool undisturbed for 10 more. The key step happens next:
Strain your boiled water through an ordinary coffee filter or steel sieve. This captures a chalky film of calcium carbonate that traps up to 90% of microplastics in the process!
It turns out harder, mineral-rich water generates extra calcium residue. And more solids means pulling more plastics from your pot. So consider this quick boil technique especially if you live in a region with abundant groundwater minerals.
Along with straining boiled water, here are tips to curb consumption of microplastics around your home:
- Cut back on bottled water and drinks Sold in single-use plastic containers. Carry reusable bottles instead.
- Avoid cooking with plastic utensils or storing food in plastic ware. High heat can degrade material.
- Use cloth bags and skip plastic at the grocery store. Some produce also comes wrapped in pointless plastic!
With smart steps, you can limit your microplastic exposure.
To pitching plastics,
Rachel Mace
Managing Editorial Director, e-Alert
with contributions from the research team
P.S. This hidden danger wreaks havoc EVERYWHERE.
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