Is it better to drink boiled or bottled water?

Some people are used to drinking traditional boiled water, while some people choose to drink bottled water due to concerns about the quality of tap water. So, is it better to drink boiled or bottled water?

Two new studies will give you the answer.

Research published earlier this year in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS) said that on average there are about a quarter of a million plastic particles in a one-liter water bottle. This number is 100 times more than previous estimates.

Scientists found an average of 240,000 particles from seven different types of plastic, mostly in nano form, when looking at five different water bottles from three popular brands (names were not given).

Nanoplastics are smaller than 1 micron in size, while microplastics have pieces smaller than 5mm and larger than 1 micron (1/1000 mm).

Due to their small size, nanoplastic particles easily penetrate organs such as the intestines, lungs, blood vessels, heart, brain or even pass through the placenta and eventually penetrate into the fetus, making them more dangerous.

However, scientists are still researching the actual harmful effects of nanoplastics.

A recent study in the journal "Environmental Science and Technology Express" by Professor Li Zhanjun, Guangzhou Medical University and Professor Zeng Yongping, School of Environment Jinan University shows that it is possible to eliminate up to 84% nano/micro plastics by simply boiling water and filtering.

According to research results, when the water temperature increases (25-95 degrees Celsius) during the boiling process, the efficiency of removing microplastics in water gradually increases from the initial 2% to 28% and increases sharply to 84% in the water. 100 degrees Celsius, and the concentration of microplastics decreased from the original 30 particles/microliter to 4.8 particles/microliter. The microplastic particles were precipitated with calcium carbonate in the residue.

Research also shows that the daily amount of microplastics absorbed through boiling water was found to be 2-5 times less than the amount of microplastics ingested through tap water.

Scientists reinforce the argument that drinking cooled boiled water can actually remove microplastics.

Micah Soto

Update 01 July 2024