{"id":101216,"date":"2024-08-15T02:35:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T00:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/?p=101216"},"modified":"2024-08-14T14:36:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T12:36:04","slug":"mizzou-scientists-achieve-more-than-98-efficiency-removing-nanoplastics-from-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/en\/science\/mizzou-scientists-achieve-more-than-98-efficiency-removing-nanoplastics-from-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Mizzou scientists achieve more than 98% efficiency removing nanoplastics from water"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The liquid-based solution uses a solvent to trap the plastic particles, leaving clean water behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Missouri scientists are battling against an emerging enemy of human health: nanoplastics. Much smaller in size than the diameter of an average human hair, nanoplastics are invisible to the naked eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in people, nanoplastics continue to build up, largely unnoticed, in the world\u2019s bodies of water. The challenge remains to develop a cost-effective solution to get rid of nanoplastics while leaving clean water behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where Mizzou comes in. Recently, researchers at the university created a new liquid-based solution that eliminates more than 98% of these microscopic plastic particles from water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNanoplastics can disrupt aquatic ecosystems and enter the food chain, posing risks to both wildlife and humans,\u201d said Piyuni Ishtaweera, a recent alumna who led the study while earning her doctorate in nano and materials chemistry at Mizzou. \u201cIn layman\u2019s terms, we\u2019re developing better ways to remove contaminants such as nanoplastics from water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The innovative method \u2014 using water-repelling solvents made from natural ingredients \u2014 not only offers a practical solution to the pressing issue of nanoplastic pollution but also paves the way for further research and development in advanced water purification technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur strategy uses a small amount of designer solvent to absorb plastic particles from a large volume of water,\u201d said Gary Baker, an associate professor in Mizzou\u2019s Department of Chemistry and the study\u2019s corresponding author. \u201cCurrently, the capacity of these solvents is not well understood. In future work, we aim to determine the maximum capacity of the solvent. Additionally, we will explore methods to recycle the solvents, enabling their reuse multiple times if necessary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, the solvent sits on the water\u2019s surface the way oil floats on water. Once mixed with water and allowed to reseparate, the solvent floats back to the surface, carrying the nanoplastics within its molecular structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the lab, the researchers simply use a pipette to remove the nanoplastic-laden solvent, leaving behind clean, plastic-free water. Baker said future studies will work to scale up the entire process so that it can be applied to larger bodies of water like lakes and, eventually, oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ishtaweera, who now works at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in St. Louis, noted that the new method is effective in both fresh and saltwater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese solvents are made from safe, non-toxic components, and their ability to repel water prevents additional contamination of water sources, making them a highly sustainable solution,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom a scientific perspective, creating effective removal methods fosters innovation in filtration technologies, provides insights into nanomaterial behavior and supports the development of informed environmental policies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mizzou team tested five different sizes of polystyrene-based nanoplastics, a common type of plastic used in the making of Styrofoam cups. Their results outperformed previous studies that largely focused on just a single size of plastic particles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNanoplastics extraction from water by hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents\u201d was published in ACS Applied Engineering Materials<\/em>. Additional co-authors are Mizzou\u2019s Collen Ray, Wyland Filley and Garrett Cobb.<\/p>\n\n\n

Source<\/h5>\r\n\n\n\n

University of Missouri 2024<\/a><\/p>\n

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