Tiny pieces of plastic are quietly entering the human body every day, mainly through food and drinking water. Scientists have been warning about microplastics and nanoplastics for years, but a new study suggests there may be an easy, household-level solution to reduce their presence in drinking water.
Researchers in China have found that simply boiling tap water and then filtering it can remove a significant amount of microplastics and nanoplastics. The method works with both soft and hard water, although the results are especially striking in water that contains higher mineral content.
The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters tested tap water samples by adding known quantities of microplastics and nanoplastics. When the water was boiled, minerals such as calcium carbonate formed solid deposits, commonly known as limescale. These deposits trapped plastic particles, which could then be removed by filtering the water.
In some cases, up to 90 percent of plastic particles were eliminated using this process. Hard water proved most effective because it naturally contains more calcium carbonate, which binds more easily to plastic fragments during boiling. Even in soft water, around 25 percent of microplastics were removed, showing that the method still offers benefits regardless of water type.
The researchers noted that everyday kitchen tools, such as tea strainers or stainless steel mesh filters, are sufficient to remove the plastic-lime residue after boiling. This makes the technique accessible to most households without the need for expensive filtration systems.
Microplastics have been detected in drinking water worldwide and include materials such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET. These particles originate from plastic packaging, synthetic clothing, kitchenware, and personal care products. Because plastics degrade slowly, they accumulate in the environment and eventually enter human bodies.
While scientists are still studying the long-term health effects of microplastic exposure, existing research has already linked them to gut microbiome disruption and increased antibiotic resistance. A 2025 review also highlighted that wastewater treatment plants are not fully effective at removing microplastics, making drinking water a major source of exposure.
The researchers behind the boiling method believe it could become a practical long-term strategy to reduce daily plastic intake. Although drinking boiled water is traditionally common in only a few regions, the growing concern over plastic pollution may encourage wider adoption.
As plastic production continues to rise globally, simple actions like boiling drinking water could play a small but meaningful role in protecting human health. The study offers a rare piece of good news in the fight against microplastic pollution: one solution may already be sitting on the kitchen stove.