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Drinking Reboiled Water
Is It Safe to Reboil Water?
by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Reboiling water is when you
boil it, allow it to cool below the boiling point, and then boil it again.
Have you ever wondered what
happens to water chemistry when you reboil water? Is it still safe to drink?
What Happens When You Reboil Water
If
you have perfectly pure deionized water, nothing will happen if you reboil it.
However, ordinary water
contains dissolved gases and minerals. The chemistry of the water changes when
you boil it because this drives off the volatile compounds and dissolved gases.
There are many cases in which
this is desirable.
However, if you boil the
water too long or reboil it, you risk concentrating certain undesirable
chemicals that may be in your water.
Examples of chemicals that
become more concentrated include nitrates, arsenic, and fluoride.
Does Reboiled Water Cause Cancer?
There
is a concern that reboiled water may lead a person to develop cancer. This
concern is not unfounded.
While the boiled water is
fine, increasing the concentration of toxic substances may put you at risk for
certain illnesses, including cancer.
For example, excessive intake
of nitrates has been linked to methemoglobinemia and certain types of cancer.
Arsenic exposure may
produce symptoms of arsenic toxicity, plus it has been associated with some
forms of cancer.
Even "healthy" minerals
may become concentrated to dangerous levels.
For example, excessive intake
of calcium salt, commonly found in drinking water and mineral water, can lead
to kidney stones, hardening of the arteries, arthritis, and gallstones.
The Bottom Line
Generally,
boiling water, allowing it to cool and then reboiling it does not present much
of a health risk.
For example, if you keep
water in a tea kettle, boil it and add water when the level gets low, you
aren't likely to endanger your health.
It's best if you don't let
water boil down, which concentrates minerals and contaminants and if you reboil
water, it's better to do it once or twice, rather than make it your standard
practice.
Pregnant women and persons at
risk for certain illnesses may wish to avoid reboiling water rather than risk
concentrating hazardous chemicals in the water.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
· Ph.D.
in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville - Oak
Ridge National Laboratory.
· Science
educator with experience teaching chemistry, biology, astronomy, and
physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
· ThoughtCo
and About Education chemistry expert since 2001.
· Widely-published
graphic artist, responsible for printable periodic tables and other
illustrations used in science.
Experience
Anne
Helmenstine, Ph.D. has covered chemistry for ThoughtCo and About Education
since 2001, and other sciences since 2013. She taught chemistry, biology,
astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
She has worked as a research scientist and also abstracting and indexing
diverse scientific literature for the Department of Energy.
In
addition to her work as a science writer, Dr. Helmenstine currently serves as a
scientific consultant, specializing in problems requiring an interdisciplinary
approach. Previously, she worked as a research scientist and college
professor.
Education
Dr.
Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of
Tennessee at Knoxville and a B.A. in physics and mathematics with a minor
in chemistry from Hastings College. In her doctoral work, Dr. Helmenstine
developed ultra-sensitive chemical detection and medical diagnostic tests.
Anne
Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
ThoughtCo
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