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Removal of Microplastics by Absorption on Kelp and By Flocculation Using Kelp Extract Coagulant or Flocculant
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Scientists tested whether kelp could soak up tiny plastic particles (microplastics) from water, but instead discovered something unexpected: a substance released from the kelp, called alginate, caused the plastics to clump together and sink, removing up to 39% of them. This suggests kelp extract could become a natural, non-toxic alternative to the chemicals currently used to filter microplastics out of our water supply, which matters since these plastic particles can end up in the water we drink.
Microplastics (MPs), less than 5 mm in size, have toxic effects on marine life, threatening ecosystems and human health.To tackle this problem, an experiment was conducted to test a method to remove MPs from water using the absorption force of kelp.There was no significant relationship between the duration of the kelp's exposure and the number of absorbed MPs.However, an unexpected result was observed: instead of being absorbed onto the kelp, the MPs formed flocs and precipitated to the bottom of the beakers.Based on this observation, I hypothesized that alginate, a substance eluted from kelp, acted as a flocculant and precipitated the MPs.I conducted an additional experiment to determine whether alginate can remove MPs in water.While the kelp extract containing alginate acted as a coagulant rather than a complete flocculant, it still managed to remove up to 39% of the MPs from the supernatant water through flocculation.While the initial experiment suggested that using kelp's absorption force may not be feasible, the second experiment demonstrates the potential for using kelp extract as an environmentally friendly substitute for existing toxic coagulants to remove MPs in water treatment.
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Scientists found a way to filter tiny plastic particles (polystyrene microplastics) out of water more effectively by adding a seaweed-derived substance called laminarin to a common water-treatment chemical. This combo removed 97% of the microplastics, compared to 82% with the standard treatment alone, while using a plant-based ingredient instead of relying solely on metal-based chemicals. Since microplastics in drinking water are a growing health concern, this lab-based research offers a promising, more natural approach to cleaning up water supplies—though it still needs to be tested in real-world conditions before it could be used at treatment plants.
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Scientists found that certain algae (like Chlorella and Spirulina) can help clean up microplastic pollution in water by clumping the tiny plastic particles together and settling them out—and that starting with the right amount of algae (around 1000 mg per liter) works best for both growing the algae and removing plastic. This matters because microplastics are increasingly showing up in our water supplies and food, and this research points toward a natural, low-cost way to filter them out before they reach us.
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