Novel Hydrogel to Remove Microplastics | 18 Apr 2024
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have designed a sustainable hydrogel to remove microplastics from water, addressing their threat to human health and the environment.
- The hydrogel has a three-layer polymer structure and utilises nanoclusters of a material called copper substitute polyoxometalate (Cu-POM) as catalysts to degrade microplastics using UV light irradiation.
- The hydrogel was highly efficient, removing about 95% and 93% of two different types of microplastics in water at near-neutral pH (∼6.5).
- A fluorescent dye is added to the microplastics to track adsorption and degradation by the hydrogel under different conditions.
- The material was found to be stable under various temperatures, making it a promising solution for microplastic removal.
- Microplastics are defined as plastics less than five millimetres in diameter, they are created through the influence of natural factors like UV radiation, wind, and currents, breaking down larger plastics into small particles.
- There are two categories: primary microplastics, which are tiny particles designed for commercial use, and microfibers shed from clothing and other textiles and secondary microplastics, formed from the breakdown of larger plastics such as water bottles.
Read more: Microplastics