New Microplastics Water Filter Made With Cotton and Squid Bone Could Be 99.9% Effective, Scientists Report [Video]

In a new study led by researchers at Wuhan University, scientists have developed a filter, made with cotton and squid bone, that can be used to adsorb certain microplastics in aquatic environments. Further, they determined the filter was about 98% to 99.9% effective in filtering microplastics.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, explored the development of a foam filter made with cellulose, from cotton plants, and chitin, a type of natural biopolymer found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and mollusks, as well as in some cell walls of fungi and algae, according to Science Direct. Both cellulose and chitin are considered “two of the most abundant polysaccharides found in nature,” according to the study, and they are already used frequently for removing larger pollutants from wastewater.

The researchers are applying the use of cellulose and chitin in a novel way to tackle microplastic pollution in water, which has typically been addressed with magnets, …