Turns Out This Old Trick Removes Microplastics From Drinking Water!
Microplastics have become a worrying trend this past decade. Scientists estimate these 5mm long fragments of artificial polymers are everywhere: from your gut, bloodstream and even your brain!
Turns Out This Old Trick Removes Microplastics From Drinking Water!
Microplastics have become a worrying trend this past decade. Scientists estimate these 5mm long fragments of artificial polymers are everywhere: from your gut, bloodstream and even your brain!
And the scary part? Plastic never goes away, it just breaks down into smaller and smaller fragments.
However, a team at China is shedding light on new hope, of a technique that could reduce the microplastics in your drinking water by up to 90%.
What’s The Deal With Microplastics?
Scientists estimate 10 to 40 million metric tons of these microplastics are released into the environment yearly, and this shocking number could double by 2040.
According to the Stanford Report, it is estimated that the average adult swallows a credit card sized amount of microplastics every week!
Where Do They Come From?
Most micro-plastics come from larger plastic items that break down over time, while some are added directly to products we use such as paint, cleansers, and toothpastes.
A lack of proper regulations and oversights in many of these associated industries is to blame, and consumers are taking the full brunt of this microplastic epidemic!
What They Found Microplastics Did To Living Beings
Studies in animals and human cells suggest microplastics exposure could be linked to:
cancer
heart attacks
reproductive problems
vulnerability to infections
inflammation
impaired immune system
deteriorated tissues
Reduced metabolic function
abnormal organ development
cell damage
The Silver Lining
Researchers in China reveal that the simple act of boiling water can be an effective way to remove microplastics from the liquid.
When microplastic infested water is boiled, naturally occurring minerals like calcium carbonate form crystals and trap microplastic particles, causing them to precipitate (reduce into liquid form).
This makes it easy to separate the particles from the water and could potentially remove up to 90% of microplastics from mineral-rich, hard tap waters.
However, this boiling process was only effective when the water had a high mineral content: defined as "hard water".
The researchers found that in soft water with a lower mineral content, the team saw reductions of around 25% of microplastics. Still a decent number but not as effective as we’d like.
What You Can Do To Reduce Microplastics
Like it or not, we live in a plastic age. From our items to computers to phones, plastic is everywhere! So what can we do to reduce our intake of plastic?
Firstly, it is important to note that plastic can be poisonous when exposed to heat, and since Malaysia is a hot country, special care must be taken to avoid placing plastic items around hot-spots.
When choosing fabrics to wear, opting for home textiles made from natural fibers [like cotton] instead of synthetic polymers can be the way to go.
And avoiding microplastics in our food is especially important. Swapping out plastic cutting boards for wooden cutting boards and replacing plastic utensils with materials more commonly used by our ancestors such as wood or metal.
This means avoiding using the plastic spoons and forks they give you the next time you tapao your mixed rice!
Sources:
Food And Wine: This Simple Step Could Cut Microplastics in Your Water by 90%
Stanford Report: What’s the deal with microplastics, the material that ‘never goes away’?
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