The research was presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society. Scientists have suggested
Lead researcher at the State UniversityTarlton Rajani Srinivasan said in an explanatory video, "In order to go ahead and remove microplastics or any other type of materials, we must use natural materials that are non-toxic."
Srinivasan and his colleagues explored howto act extracts of supermarket-bought okra, aloe, cactus, fenugreek, tamarind and plantain in various microplastic-contaminated waters. They tested single chains of carbohydrates and combinations of carbohydrates to compare before and after microscopic images to determine how many particles were removed.
They found that okra polysaccharides paired with fenugreek was the best at removing microplastics from ocean water, while okra polysaccharides paired with tamarind was best at purifying fresh water.
Scientists have concluded that plant polysaccharidesworked as well or better than polyacrylamide, a chemically dangerous substance. Srinivasan said she hopes to scale up and commercialize this process, providing greater access to clean and safe drinking water.
In past research, Srinivasan has examined howmucilage from okra and other plants removes textile contaminants from water and even microorganisms. She wanted to see if this would apply equally to microplastics.
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