Create a new technology capable of removing nanoplastics from contaminated water, with an efficiency close to 100%.
New approaches against plastic pollution
While the healthcare world seeks to shed light on the possible damage of plastic pollution on the human body, new advancements are being made to limit contamination. Today, there is finally a way to capture and remove nanoplastics from water with an efficiency close to 100%. A group of researchers from the University of Missouri has fine-tuned the technology, surpassing the results the University of Waterloo achieved just a few months ago.
The pollution from nanoplastics knows no boundaries
It is now a fact that plastic waste has contaminated every corner of the Planet, from the ocean floors to the mountain peaks. There are no safe ecosystems, and increasingly, new evidence is emerging about the damage inflicted on animals, especially marine ones, all the way up the food chain. The studies are just beginning, but the data appears concerning: Tiny plastic fragments have been found in human blood, lungs, and placentas. The literature on inflammatory diseases related to this contaminant, whether ingested or inhaled, is progressively growing.
Microplastics are frightening, but even more so are nanoplastics, invisible particles to the naked eye, a thousand times smaller than the former and much more invasive.
Removing nanoplastics from water with activated carbon
How do we tackle this new global alarm? Scientists at the University of Waterloo have achieved significant results. The group, led by chemical engineering professor Tizazu Mekonnen, has developed a new method for removing nanoplastics from wastewater. In detail, the team used epoxy resin waste – which cannot be recycled – to produce activated carbon through thermal decomposition. So they used coal to treat water contaminated with polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics. (PET).
“To end the waste crisis and reduce the environmental impact of plastic production, we must implement a circular economy approach that considers every stage of its journey,” Mekonnen stated.
The tests recovered 94% of nanoplastics (100 mg/L) with an activated carbon load of 750 mg/L. In the future, researchers will attempt to apply this cleaning process to other types of plastic and conduct large-scale tests at municipal wastewater treatment facilities. The result of the work has been published in Separation and Purification Technology.
Removing micro and nanoplastics with record efficiencies
Scientists at the University of Missouri have taken the fight against nanoplastics a step further. How? Creating a new liquid-based solution that eliminates over 98% of these microscopic particles.
“Our strategy uses a small amount of hydrophobic solvent to absorb plastic particles from a large volume of water,” said Gary Baker, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University and author of the study. Added to the water resource to be treated, initially the solvent remains on the surface, just like oil would. Once mixed and allowed to separate again, it floats back up while carrying nanoplastics within its molecular structure.
The researchers used a pipette to remove the compound in the laboratory, leaving behind clean, plastic-free water. The team tested five different sizes of polystyrene-based nanoplastics in both freshwater and saltwater. “Currently, the capacity of these solvents is not well understood,” emphasizes Baker. “In future work, we aim to determine their maximum capacity.” “Furthermore, we will explore methods for recycling solvents, allowing for their reuse multiple times, if necessary.“
The team’s study has been published in ACS Applied Engineering Materials.
