10.01.2025 Microplastics are choking our waters. Could a sponge made of squid bones help remove them?

Microplastics are everywhere. They have been found on the peak of Mount Everest and in creatures inhabiting the deepest trenches of the sea. They’re in bottled water, human placentas and breast milk. These tiny plastic particles choke wildlife, disrupt ecosystems, and threaten human health – and they are notoriously difficult to remove. But scientists in China have come up with a possible solution: a biodegradable sponge made of squid bones and cotton. A research team from Wuhan University used chitin from squid bones and cellulose from cotton – two organic compounds known for eliminating pollution from wastewater – to create a biodegradable sponge. They then tested the sponge in four different water samples, taken from irrigation water, pond water, lake water and sea water, and found it removed up to 99.9% of microplastics, according to a study published last month in Science Advances. “The planet is under great threat from microplastics, and aquatic ecosystems are the first to suffer,” wrote the authors. “Even under a variety of policies, including plastic product reduction, waste management, and environmental recycling, microplastic pollution is irreversible and escalating.”

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Source: CNN