Researchers may have found an effective, green way to remove microplastics from our water using readily available plant materials. Their device was found to capture up to 99.9% of a wide variety of microplastics known to pose a health risk to humans.
The
health problems posed by nano- or microplastics and developing efficient ways to extract them from water have been the focus of recent research. Currently, there’s no practical technology available to universally and rapidly capture microplastics. But researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada may have devised a biodegradable, renewable solution.
Their device, which they’re calling bioCap, exploits the properties of wood residues – including sawdust – and natural polyphenols, which generate strong molecular interactions with polymer particles, including many microplastics.
To create bioCap, the researchers used sawdust as a substrate through which to filter water, given its superior chemical and physical stability and the fact that it contains cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, which facilitate efficient water transport. They modified the sawdust by adding tannic acid, a naturally occurring plant polyphenol found in almost all plants without underground root systems.
