New Method to Remove 98% of Microplastics From Water

Good Morning! Without skipping a beat, here’s Friday’s Good News! From a heart pacemaker that dissolves without a trace after work has been done to Indonesia giving out free school meals for underprivileged children, get ready for some much-needed stress relief.

• 🌳 New Method to Remove 98% of Microplastics From Water 

• 🌟 Shark Attack Survivor Wins Silver Medal at Paralympics

• 🌳 Hawaii Starts Decarbonizing Entire Transportation Sector

• 🧬 A Temporary Heart Pacemaker That Dissolves in 5 Days

• 🧘 Free Meal-a-Day for Indonesian Students

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 🌳

New Method to Remove 98% of Microplastics From Water

• A newly discovered solvent removes 98% of microplastics from water

• It is simple to use and non-toxic

• A small amount works in a large body of water

Everybody knows plastics pollute and pose a threat to wildlife. However, the real issues start at a microscopic level—when plastics become so tiny that we can’t even see them. At that point, we’re talking about microplastics. Recent studies have found microplastics as high as Mount Everest and as low as the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of our oceans. But that’s not all. They’ve also been found in our blood, lungs, liver, kidneys, and even in the placentas of unborn babies.

But good news is on the way! We’ve already discovered several ways to remove plastics from our drinking water, such as carbonated filters, multi-stage sediment filters, reverse osmosis, or simply by distilling water. However, filters get clogged and need to be cleaned, and distilling also removes healthy minerals that our bodies rely on. Luckily, a team of researchers from the University of Missouri may have found a brilliant way to remove even nanoplastics from both freshwater and seawater.

The team has designed a special kind of solvent. It is non-toxic and hydrophobic, which means it repels water. Once emulsified with water, it binds to micro- and nanoplastics (i). Then, the solvent gets separated from the water (ii) and we can easily remove it.

This simple process removes 98% of the plastics it comes into contact with, and a small amount of the solvent can treat a large body of water! The researchers are now working to determine the solvent’s maximum capacity and develop a safe and easy way to recycle it for reuse.

GOOD NEWS PREMIUM

Shark Attack Survivor Wins Silver Medal at Paralympics

• After losing a leg in a shark attack, college swimmer Alexandra Truwit decided to fight back 

• One year later she qualified for the Paralympics in Paris

• Yesterday she won a silver medal in the women’s 400m freestyle

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And that’s it for today. Thanks a lot for reading our newsletter! We'll see you again on Monday with a fresh batch of inspiring stories from around the world. Have a great weekend!

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