Algae-based self-driven microrobot for efficient removal of nanoplastics from water environment

Nanorobotics: A Futuristic Approach to Microplastic Removal

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Researchers explored the potential of nanorobotics as a futuristic strategy for removing microplastics from marine and aquatic environments, addressing concerns about plastic particles entering food chains through edible aquatic organisms and threatening both ecosystem health and human safety.

Chitosan-based Fe3O4/TiO2-microalgae hybrid microrobots for efficient adsorption and magnetic removal of nanoplastics

Microrobots mop-up nanoplastics

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Self-propelled catalytic microrobots were engineered to trap and remove nanoplastics from water, offering a new active remediation strategy for particles too small for conventional filtration. Nanoplastics are the most concerning size fraction of plastic pollution because they can penetrate cell membranes and accumulate in tissues, making efficient removal technologies especially valuable.

A review on micro and nano plastics removal from aqueous environment through bionanomaterials

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This review evaluates emerging bionanomaterials — including layered double hydroxides, magnetic nano-Fe3O4, carbon-based adsorbents, and electrospun nanofiber membranes — as green remediation tools for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, with some achieving up to 90% removal efficiency. Developing effective, scalable, and environmentally benign removal technologies is urgent given that conventional water treatment plants are poorly equipped to intercept the smallest plastic particles that pose the greatest risk to human health.

Micro/nanorobots for efficient removal and degradation of micro/nanoplastics

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This paper reviews how tiny self-propelled robots at the micro and nanoscale could be used to capture and remove microplastics from water. These robots can be designed to target specific types of plastic particles and move through water on their own, offering advantages over traditional filtration methods. While still in early development, this technology could eventually provide a practical way to reduce microplastic contamination in drinking water and aquatic environments.