지영도영
가볍게 들고다니고 좋아 자주 사용했는데 지양해야겠어요
Story of Reporter Isulbi
•
Since humans started using plastic products, microplastics, tiny pieces of plastic, have also begun to circulate. During various activities such as washing and wearing disposable masks, microplastics have moved into the air and water, and through the food chain—fish, cattle, pigs, and others—microplastics have started to reappear on human dining tables. In particular, a large amount of plastic is being absorbed into the human body through water. Microplastics that are not filtered out during purification have been found in tap water, and microplastics that have fallen from bottled containers are present in bottled water, which humans are drinking. If you're worried about ingesting microplastics, try boiling the water before drinking.
◇Just drinking bottled water... accumulation of microplastics in organs?
There are more microplastics in the water than expected. Microplastics are small plastic pieces ranging in size from 1 nanometer (nm) to 5 millimeters (mm) in diameter. Recent research published in the international journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)' by the Columbia University Earth Institute in the United States found that there are between 110,000 and 370,000 plastic particles per liter of bottled water. Among them, 90% are nanoplastics, and the rest are microplastics. Nanoplastics are extremely small plastics with a diameter of one-billionth of a meter.
The impact of these small plastics on the body is enormous. Professor Kwang-ryul Lee of the Department of Chemistry at Korea University stated, "Relatively larger microplastics with bigger particles can be filtered out or expelled from the body before entering," but also added, "Nano plastics are extremely small in size and can penetrate any organ in our body, potentially causing damage to brain tissue and adversely affecting capillaries in the hands and feet." Through various studies, microplastics with small particles have been detected in the lungs, brain, placenta, breast milk, testes (sperm), and other areas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers that microplastics can exist as foreign substances within internal organs, potentially causing long-term inflammatory responses, and that plastic processing agents such as bisphenol A and phthalates, which are used during plastic manufacturing, can disrupt hormones. Because microplastics are small in size, they have a larger surface area, which can lead to the release of more plasticizer components attached to them.
The WHO stated that microplastics have a hydrophobic property that repels water and tend to adhere well to substances that cause infections, such as microorganisms. They also revealed that microplastics can enter the body in this way and become a source of infection. Research from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology's Rare and Intractable Disease Research Center also indicates that microplastics can be transmitted through breast milk to the next generation, leading to increases in offspring's weight and body fat.
Tips for taking action when you're worried about microplastics in drinking water
3 Ways to Reduce Microplastic Content
- Drinking tap water
To minimize microplastic intake when drinking water, using a water purifier is the best option.
If there is no water purifier, drinking tap water is better than bottled water. Most water purifiers are equipped with filters that can remove not only nano plastics but also micro plastics. It's not necessarily that tap water is better, but rather that bottled water is likely to contain a large amount of micro plastics. Micro plastics are generated when opening and closing bottled water caps. According to a study published by RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in Germany, during the opening and closing of bottled water caps
It has been confirmed that microplastics are generated. When opening a bottled water cap once, 131 microplastic particles (MPP) per liter were detected. After opening and closing eleven times, approximately twice as many, 242 microplastic particles, were detected. There is also a study from the University of British Columbia in Canada indicating that people who drink tap water consume fewer microplastics than those who drink bottled water.
Boil water and drink
Boiling water alone can remove microplastics.
Professor Lee Kwang-ryeol stated, "The surface of microplastics carries a negative charge, and when water containing minerals is boiled, microplastics adhere to cations such as calcium and magnesium, forming clumps." He added, "Subsequently, using coffee filters made entirely of pulp to filter out limestone precipitates can reduce microplastic levels in the water, making it safe to drink." Recently, a research team led by Dr. Edie Zheng at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, announced a study showing that boiling water with a hardness (calcium carbonate and magnesium content) of 300 mg/L can reduce microplastics by approximately 90%.
However, the tap water and bottled water in our country have low hardness, classified as soft water. According to the 'Water Quality Test Results for February 2024' announced by the Seoul Arisu Waterworks Headquarters, the hardness of Arisu water was between 70 and 85 mg per liter. Most bottled waters on the market are also soft water, with ▲'Jeju Samdasoo' having less than 20 mg/L of hardness, ▲Lotte Chilsung Beverage's 'Icis 8.0' ranging from 60 to 80 mg/L, and Nongshim Baeksansu around 30 mg/L. Previous studies have shown that water with less than 60 mg/L of hardness only removes about 25% of microplastics. Professor Kang Ryoung-ryeol stated, "Adding small amounts of calcium supplements or edible calcium carbonate while boiling can more effectively remove microplastics," and "Calcium carbonate precipitates at around 100°C, so there is little need to worry about its toxicity."
3. Drinking directly from a bottled water container
Be careful, as freezing or microwaving bottled water can release more microplastics.
According to joint research by Virginia Tech in the United States and Zhejiang University in China, it has been confirmed that when plastic containers are frozen and then melted again, a large amount of microplastics are generated. Additionally, it is not advisable to microwave them. A joint study by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and other researchers found that heating at 1000W for 3 minutes released 4.22 million microplastics. Furthermore, microplastics dissolve more easily in alcohol and oil than in water, so it is best not to put other liquids into empty bottled water containers.
============
I also brewed bellflower tea yesterday.
When the cold wind blows, I think it's good to boil and drink it.
I don't use a water purifier.
I am buying and drinking water.
