STEPHENVILLE, Texas - Tarleton State University researchers believe they have demonstrated how combinations of food-grade plant extracts have the power to remove microplastics from wastewater.
Specifically, the extracts came from plants like okra, aloe, cactus and psyllium.The researchers presented their findings last month at the virtual spring meeting of the American Chemical Society.Typically, microplastics are removed by either skimming off the items that float at the top or by adding flocculants, or sticky chemicals that attract microplastics and form large clumps.
The clumps then sink to the bottom of the water and can be separated from it, according to the university. RELATED: Microplastics found in human blood for the 1st time, study saysLead researcher Dr.
Rajani Srinivasan said some substances used to remove microplastics are potentially harmful. That’s why her team has been investigating non-toxic alternatives. "We think that microplastics by themselves may not be much of a health hazard, but anything they get into or any type of toxic substance that gets attached to them could go inside our bodies and cause problems," she said in a news release.