Boiling Away Emerging Pollutants: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Drinking Water Safety
Abstract
Emerging pollutants (EPs) in drinking water, like nano/microplastics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and disinfection byproducts (DBPs), threaten human health and ecosystems. While advanced treatment technologies face high costs and energy demands, boiling, an ancient household method, offers a practical alternative. Recent studies show that boiling removes nano/microplastics via coprecipitation with incrustants, degrades ARGs through thermal DNA denaturation, and eliminates volatile DBPs. Combining boiling with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation enhances degradation while reducing energy use. Despite its benefits, economic and environmental barriers limit scalability in low-resource settings. Integrating boiling with sustainable practices, such as solar heating and stainless steel containers, could optimize safety and accessibility. This review underscores boiling’s role as a cost-effective, point-of-use solution, bridging traditional practices with modern water purification needs.
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