Scientists have discovered a solution to plastic. The effectiveness reaches almost 100 percent
Scientists have selected a species of fungus that can help fight micro- and nanoplastics. They reported their findings in the magazine Chemosphere.
Microplastics and nanoplastics have begun to raise considerable concern in the scientific world in recent years. Researchers suspect that harmful substances have become common in our environment, poisoning entire ecosystems. So experts started thinking about ways to filter these particles from water.
Scientists want to purify water from microplastics. Will they use mushrooms?
Researchers from Japan’s Shinshu University are looking for a natural method of eliminating plastic from the environment. In their opinion, the edible nameko mushroom (Pholiota nameko), whose mucilage gives great promise, can help with this. This is because it is rich in polysaccharides, especially pectin, which can bind molecules.
– We chose nameko mushrooms because they are inexpensive and widely available in Japan – explained Prof. Hiroshi Moriwaki. – Moreover, their slime is safe and non-toxic, which makes it a sustainable solution – he said. As shown in the experiment, the solution of mucus in water with iron ions worked in just a few minutes. He combined polystyrene particles into visible, fibrous flocks.
A new way to purify water from plastic? Scientists optimistic
– Pectin in the mucus forms a gel with iron ions, which helps bind plastic particles into removable flocs through Coulomb forces – explained the scientist. He said that the effectiveness of microplastic removal using this method was estimated at 95.3%. In the case of nanoplastics it was 87.4%, which is still a lot. Researchers emphasize that it was a fast and efficient method. They think it could be used to reuse industrial wastewater.
Scientists also emphasize that the use of nameko mushrooms is safe and practical. It may be a tempting alternative to currently used chemical flocculants. The lint created by nameko is also biodegradable.
