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.

  • @echutaa
    link
    114 months ago

    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.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      24 months ago

      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
        link
        34 months ago

        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.

          • @echutaa
            link
            14 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.