Researchers from the universities of Guangzhou and Jinan discovered that boiling tap water can remove up to 90 percent of microplastics, according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters. The study analyzed 38 water samples from various Chinese cities, finding microplastic concentrations as high as 1,247 particles per liter. Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments, often resulting from the breakdown of plastic packaging or pipeline wear, and are challenging to remove using standard water purification methods because of their small size and ability to trap pollutants. The process works by heating the water, which causes calcium carbonate—common in hard water—to precipitate and form limescale. This limescale physically traps microplastic particles. The technique is most effective in hard water, where the capture rate of nanoplastics reaches 90 percent, compared to only about 25 percent in soft water. Once boiled, the water should be cooled and then filtered using a simple tea strainer or mechanical filter to remove the trapped microplastics. The study emphasized that microplastics are a global issue, found not only in China but in water sources worldwide. Even countries with advanced water treatment systems cannot fully eliminate these particles from tap water. In laboratory experiments on mice, ingestion of polystyrene nanoparticles was linked to changes in gut bacteria, increased antibiotic resistance, disrupted metabolism, and reduced nutrient absorption. Although these results come from animal studies, they raise concerns about potential health effects in humans and highlight the need for caution regarding microplastic exposure. The researchers also noted the presence of PFAS—often called "eternal chemicals"—in remote areas such as Antarctica and the Tibetan Plateau, with levels exceeding recommended safety limits. However, the accumulation of these persistent chemicals has stabilized over the past two decades. While boiling tap water does not solve the broader issue of plastic pollution, it provides a simple, immediate way to reduce daily exposure to microplastics in drinking water.