People are shocked by how different tap water and rainwater look like under a microscope

Not many of us would analyze the extent of harmful bacteria or other parasites in our food or water before consumption. Maybe people with a cleanliness habit do, but most would turn a blind eye to these possibilities. Little do we know that even a clean surface, when seen under a microscope, reveals tons of microorganisms squirming around. A science enthusiast, Microscope Vision—who goes by @microscope.vision on TikTok—often shows what everyday things look like under a microscope. They recently made a spooky revelation. The video showing the microscopic view of tap water and rainwater shocked many on the internet.

As the video begins, we can see the creator collecting tap water in a transparent dropper and by the looks of it, the water is pretty clear. However, the scary truth is revealed once they place it under a microscope. The tap water carried clusters of microorganisms in an oval shape that might be harmful parasites. Also, worm-like microbes were wiggling around along with tons of little structures. As they further zoomed in, the organisms looked much creepier enough to send chills down our spines.

However, one might have expected this in tap water because we never know what it takes along with it while traveling through ducts. The real concern begins when the scientific content creator takes clear rainwater from the ground in a dropper and reveals it under a microscope. At first, it seems as though rainwater has fewer organisms floating around. However, when it is zoomed in, a baffling visual shows the plethora of oval-shaped and worm-like microbes in the rainwater. Though we are unsure if these are actually harmful parasites, seeing a massive colony of microbes is not a pleasing sight.

The video garnered over 20 million views and people were in absolute shock. "I never want to drink water ever again," said @unknownclematis. "There are organisms in everything. Wait until you find out what parasites live symbiotically with our body," remarked @crimsonrider04. A few others pointed out that the creator picked rainwater from the ground, which was why it might have had so many microbes. "It would've been more accurate if you caught the rainwater in a sterile container and not from the dirty ground," suggested @samuelvillafranco. "You picked up the rainwater from the ground. Obviously, there will be a lot of bacteria and organisms, so collect it as it falls," added @cameronj.j02. "All of these microorganisms tend to die when they meet stomach acid," noted @gabedavey8.

The presence of microorganisms in our immediate surroundings is an intriguing yet creepy reality. Recently, a nurse's demonstration of how germs spread has been doing rounds on the internet. Molly Lixey, a former emergency nurse from Michigan, used paint to symbolize germs we pick up from public places and cardboard for a cell phone. "It's (the germs) on my gloves, that's fine, right? It's on my gloves. But now I'm walking along and my phone rings, so I've now touched my hands together a couple of times. I reach for my phone and oh, I have a text message from my husband," she said. As she demonstrated, we can see that the paint is sticking to every surface she touches and eventually gets on her cheek. Her experiment explained how we carry unnecessary germs in our daily lives.

You can follow Microscope Vision (@microscope.vision) on TikTok for more content on things under a microscope.

This article originally appeared 3 months ago.