Microplastics are one of the most pressing environmental problems of today. It has spread across the world, is harmful to the environment and endangers all life forms that ingest it, whether it ends up in food, drinks or in the air. Groundwater has become a worrying victim of pollution as plastic consumption continues to rise and shows no signs of slowing down. That's why many people ask themselves: How can I remove microplastics from water?
To ease concerns about microplastics in drinking water, there are a few options. How microplastics are defined, what the dangers are and how they can be removed from drinking water is discussed in the following article.
Plastic particles in water: what are they?
Microplastics are defined as plastic fragments between 5 millimeters and one hundred nanometers (0.0001 millimeters) in size. They arise as a by-product both from the natural decomposition of plastics and from products that are said to contain microplastics. Tires, microbeads, plastic waste, paints and synthetic clothing are just a few examples of such products. Microplastics have also found their way into various foods and drinks. The Great Lakes, the oceans and the seas are full of plastic waste and this waste is not going away anytime soon. The vast majority of plastics are not biodegradable. Actually, they just break down into tiny pieces. Because they are difficult to excrete, plastic particles pose a unique threat to all life forms. Plastic contamination of water sources is oneDanger to healthof people and the environment.
Dangers of plastic in drinking water
The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat are all contaminated with microplastics and nanoplastics. Worryingly, plastic has also been discovered in human tissue such as the lungs of surgery patients, breast milk and blood. These results add to the growing evidence that microplastics damage human cells.
Most containers we use to store food and drinks are made of polycarbonate plastic, which may contain bioactive compounds. Most of the time, it is not the plastics themselves that are harmful to humans, but the chemicals that are added to them. 90% of microplastics can be eliminated by boiling and filtering municipal water supplies.
The cheapest method – boiling the water
In their most recent study (veröffentlicht in Environmental Science & Technology Letters), Chinese researchers sought a simple, cost-effective method to filter plastic from municipal water systems. They boiled both soft and hard water with the addition of microplastics, and the results looked good. Hard water, which is rich in minerals, turns into calcium carbonate when boiled. This causes a crust to form on the inside of pots and tea kettles. Research has shown that small pieces of calcium carbonate can entrap microscopic pieces of plastic. Because of their size, the calcium carbonate particles can be filtered out of the water using a coffee filter.
This method works better in hard drinking water than in mild water. The results showed that boiling hard water can remove up to 90% of microplastics, while boiling soft drinking water only removed 25%. The researchers recommend waiting 5 to 10 minutes for the plastic particles to settle and the water to cool before trying it. You can then filter the solids.
Reduce water impurities through distillation
This is not the easiest or most convenient solution, but it is one of the best. Distillation removes contaminants such as microplastics and heavy metals from water by heating it to a sufficiently high temperature and then collecting the resulting condensation. While professional water distillation systems can be a bit expensive, there are cheaper options too. Purchasing distilled water is also an easy and hassle-free replacement.
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Use water filter
Using a water filter is a good first step to rid your tap water of plastic. Ceramic filters, activated carbon filters, etc. are just a few of the many water filtration options available today. These filters can remove not only microplastics, but also chlorine, lead and bacteria, as well as other toxins.
Filter tap water with reverse osmosis systems
Using a reverse osmosis system in your kitchen is one of the best ways to remove microplastics from your water source. This technology is designed to eliminate contaminants in your home exactly where they are used. With a reverse osmosis system, you can be confident that the water in your home is safe for drinking and cooking as most contaminants are removed. After the system filters out a variety of contaminants, you can enjoy clean, delicious water.
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