No one knows yet what threat plastic pollution poses to human health, but the recent realization that we’re drinking invisible bits of plastic along with our water has understandably worried many people.
To prevent micro- and nanoplastics from seeping deep into our bodies and brains, researchers at the University of Missouri have devised a sustainable and safe way to remove the microscopic contaminants from water.
The team showed that by using a natural, less toxic liquid compound, they could remove about 98 percent of the nanoscale polystyrene beads from freshwater and saltwater.
The solvent the researchers developed floats on the surface of water like an oil, but when lightly stirred, the liquid actually picks up tiny plastic particles from the water and brings them to the surface.
Researchers at the University of Missouri found that they could remove nearly all of the nanoplastic beads from contaminated water samples by sucking up the top layer of liquid with a pipette.
The method was effective in removing 99.8 percent of the polystyrene contaminants in saltwater.
The proof of concept represents a cost-effective and potentially “sustainable solution to the nanoplastics problem.” Assert With further study, the technology, developed by researchers at the University of Missouri, may also be useful for removing other contaminants, such as permanent chemicals, from water.
Previous studies have shown that tap water and bottled water contain many tiny plastic particles, mainly nanoplastics that are smaller than a micrometer in size. In fact, it has been estimated that there are an average of about 240,000 nanoplastic particles per liter of bottled water.
These non-biodegradable materials can be created intentionally or can form from degraded microplastics.
These can easily seep into natural ecosystems through rivers, drainage networks, tire wear, agricultural runoff, wastewater treatment plants, etc.
Nanoplastics are now found in waters around the world, including remote locations such as the deep ocean, the Arctic and mountain lakes.
“Nanoplastics can disrupt aquatic ecosystems and enter the food chain, posing a danger to both wildlife and humans.” say Piuni Ishtaweera is a chemist who conducted the research while at the University of Missouri.
Additionally, harmful chemicals such as heavy metals and flame retardants can also attach to the surface of nanoplastics and interact with biological membranes.
Removing such microscopic contaminants from the environment is no easy task.
More recently, Chinese researchers discovered that boiling tap water can remove up to 90 percent of nano- and microplastics.
While this may be an easy way to remove contaminants from drinking water, it doesn’t help with larger bodies of water that may be contaminated.
A new technology from the University of Missouri could tackle nanoplastic pollution in a much more scalable way.
“Our strategy is to use small amounts of designer solvents to absorb plastic particles from large amounts of water.” explain chemist Gary Baker;
“Currently, the capacity of these solvents is not well understood. In future studies, we aim to determine the maximum capacity of the solvents. Additionally, we will study ways to recycle the solvents so that they can be reused multiple times if needed.”
This study ACS Applied Engineering Materials.
