China has developed a new reusable and biodegradable porous material that can absorb microplastics from water with up to 99.8 per cent efficiency.

The researchers used an eco-friendly fibre foam material made from chitin derived from squid bone and cellulose from cotton.

The porous structure of this material allows it to attract and interact with various types of microplastics often found in electronics, food packaging, textiles and other industrial goods. This is reported by China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.

The team tested the effectiveness of the material on samples from four real water sources: irrigation, lake, sea and pond to find out how it performs under natural conditions.

In the experiments, the foamed material absorbed almost 100 per cent of the microplastics in the first cycles, and removal levels of this biopolymer material exceeded 95 per cent after five cycles, highlighting its good reusability.

According to the study, the material’s adsorption capacity is virtually unaffected by inorganic particles, heavy metals, organic pollutants and microorganisms in water.

The team has already applied for a patent for this technology, hoping to implement it in a real water purification system or home filters in the near future.

TVBRICS