Electricity

Researchers published a promising study in the Environmental Science & Technology Letters journal. Their findings suggest that boiling and filtering your tap water can eliminate up to 90% of microplastics. The research team analyzed tap water samples from 14 countries, finding microplastics in a staggering 129 out of 159 samples. To investigate further, they created simulated tap water containing minerals, chemicals, and microplastics commonly found in real tap water. Their goal was to see if the simple act of boiling could effectively remove microplastics. The results were particularly interesting for hard water, which contains high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium. When heated, calcium carbonate (a common component of hard water) solidifies. The study revealed that this calcium solidifies around microplastic particles, making them easily trapped by a basic filter, like a coffee filter.