http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/1204/c90000-20249918.html

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adn8662

A biodegradable sponge removes up to 99.8 percent of microplastics from water. Containing low-cost and easily accessible raw materials for producing it, the sponge is expected to be applied widely in efficient microplastic removal from aquatic bodies, a major breakthrough in combating a pervasive environmental problem.

According to Deng Hongbing from the School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, the two raw materials used in making the sponge, squid bone chitin and cotton cellulose, are easy to obtain and available at low cost, making the biomass fibrous sponge an effective and cost-efficient solution to address the complex issue of microplastic pollution in water.

The sponge can adsorb various common microplastics less than 5 millimeters in length from food packaging, textiles, and other industrial products and removes 99.8 percent of microplastics from water during the first adsorption cycle. It maintained a removal efficiency of over 95 percent after five cycles.

The research team evaluated the fibrous foam’s performance using samples from four typical water sources including irrigation water, lake water, seawater, and pond water. They found that the adsorption capacity of the material was basically unaffected by inorganic particles, heavy metals, organic pollutants, or microorganisms in the water, confirming its stability in real aquatic environments.