A matrix of squid bone and cotton cellulose offers a low-cost, scalable solution to global microplastic poisoning according to a new study from China.
Attempting to find a material that would address all common concerns with microplastic filtration, the scientists’ cotton-squid sponge displayed 99.9% efficacy and a “remarkable reusability.”
Tested in water found in a lake, a scummy pond, the sea, and an irrigation ditch, the 99.9% removal rate fell only a few percentage points after several decontamination cycles, the authors report in Science Advances.
It is becoming increasingly clear that microplastic contamination has the potential to surpass all other health and environmental concerns as more discoveries about the adverse effects of common microplastics are made.
Consequences like increased cancer risk, hormonal dysregulation, and developmental delays are better understood, but recent research has also linked it to a two-fold increase in the risk of heart attack or stroke if the particles are embedded in heart tissue.
Along with their ubiquity (microplastics have been found in every environment on Earth, from the jetstream to the depths of the ocean) the term “microplastics” can refer to as many as 16,000 different chemicals, of which some may be more toxic than others, or be harder to remove from the body.
This is especially true for a class of chemicals known as PFAS—polyfluoroalkyl substances—often called “forever chemicals” for their durability in the natural environment compared to other plastics. That durability is replicated inside the human organism, with natural detox systems like urination and perspiration unable to completely cleanse the tissues from PFAS once ingested.
OTHER SOLUTIONS TO MICROPLASTICS:
- Plant-Based Filter Removes Up to 99.9% of Microplastics from Water
- Teens Invent Device that Removes Microplastics with Ultrasound Waves, Winning $50k
- There’s a Surprisingly Easy Way to Remove Microplastics From Drinking Water: Boil it
The sponge is made from cotton and chitin found in the bone tissues of a squid. It was manufactured with existing machines like mechanical stirrers and freeze dryers to ensure it would be as cheap and scalable as possible.
The authors from the University of Wuhan in China note that many microplastic filters and sponges have achieved between 95 and 99% purities in experimental settings, but haven’t been used in the real world because the materials and manufacturing methods are too expensive, too complex, or produce too little filtration material.
From the offset by contrast, the team from Wuhan tried to make it from materials that could be acquired all around the world for pennies, and with machines that would be available to any manufacturer, even those in developing nations.
With proper testing at a commercial or industrial scale, they estimate the sponges could become household and municipal products within a couple of years.
Saying ‘if there’s a will there’s a way’ to solve the microplastic pollution pandemic isn’t quite accurate because there are already several ways. It remains only to separate out the great ways from the good ways and implementing them as fast as possible.
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