Why You Can't Boil Water Twice: A Scientific Fact Or A Myth

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Boiling water again: is there a danger?

Probably, many people are familiar with this situation: it is time for tea drinking at work, someone goes to put the kettle on and refills the cold boiling water remaining in it. A colleague who notices this is tossed up on a chair - he certainly won't drink anything from this kettle. And all because in matters of tea drinking, society was divided into two camps: the first believe that it is impossible to boil water twice in any case, and the second, as they say, does not care. Which one is right?

What happens to water when boiled again

I must say that opinions on this issue differ significantly, but still, most people who understand the physical and chemical processes are inclined to believe that after repeated boiling, the structure and composition of water does not change for the better.

First of all, we boil water in order to destroy harmful and disease-causing bacteria contained in it. All this organic component, whether it is from a spring or from a water supply, is destroyed during the first boil. However, already upon repeated boiling, the active chlorine present in the water reacts with other minerals. And the end result of these reactions depends on how deeply the water has been purified. In any case, the heating process speeds up any reactions that take place between the elements dissolved in the liquid. Therefore, it is believed that if you boil water several times, then as a result of the chemical reactions occurring, the risk of the formation of various carcinogens that cause the development of malignant tumors and dioxins, dangerous toxic substances, increases.

Boiling water twice also increases the content of nitrates, arsenic and fluoride in it, which have a harmful effect on the human body. In addition, during repeated boiling, oxygen and hydrogen evaporate from the water, as a result of which its taste is distorted, it becomes harder and heavier. As a result, water becomes "dead" from repeated boiling.

After the first boiling of water, its structure changes

Ultimately, scientists are inclined to believe that the concentration of harmful substances in water, even with several boils, remains so low that it cannot harm the human body, but it is better to limit ourselves to one complete heating. So harmful microbes will be eliminated, and negative chemical reactions are not triggered.

It may not be worth spending too much time contemplating boiling water. Indeed, even experts agree that the negative changes occurring in the composition of water after repeated boiling are insignificant. In order for water to be truly unusable and hazardous to health, it must be boiled again dozens of times. But if you are sure that this is unsafe for health, do not boil the water again, because there is no difficulty in this.