A Waterloo Engineering research team has developed technology that can remove harmful nanoplastics from contaminated water.
Dr. Tizazu Mekonnen, professor of chemical engineering and Canada Research Chair in sustainable multiphase polymers, and grad student Rachel Blanchard’s (BASc ‘22, chemical engineering), innovative research can clear nanoplastics from wastewater systems with 94 per cent efficiency.
The team repurposed epoxy waste, typically destined for landfills or water systems, into activated carbon through thermal decomposition. This activated carbon effectively removed nanoplastics, which are a thousand times smaller than microplastics, from water contaminated with polyethylene terephthalate-derived nanoplastics.
It offers a promising solution to the health risks posed by these tiny contaminants which are difficult to detect and can penetrate cells. Their method achieved a 94 per cent removal efficiency by physically trapping nanoplastics in the porous structure of the waste plastic, thus generating activated carbon.
“Rationally designed plastics not only can be part of the solution to reduce climate change but can have a positive impact in economic development and create jobs,” Mekonnen said. “This technology has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the plastics industry.”
Go to Scientists can now remove microplastics from our water with 94 per cent efficiency for the full story.