Extracts of okra, also known as okra, and other so-called succulents commonly used in cooking can help remove dangerous microplastics from wastewater, scientists reported Tuesday.
The new research was presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society and offers an alternative to synthetic chemicals currently used in water treatment plants that may pose health risks.
“In order to advance and remove microplastics or other materials, we must use natural, non-toxic components,” said lead researcher Rajani Srinivasan, from Tarleton State University in an explanatory video.
Ocra is used as a reducing agent in many culinary preparations, such as Gumbo, a Louisiana stew. It is also a staple in South Asian cuisine, where it is called “bhindi”.
In a previous investigation, Srinivasan examined how the sticky substance of okra and other plants could remove textile contaminants from water and even microorganisms, and now he wanted to see if this could be applied to microplastics.
The intake of microplastics, 5 millimeters or less, has been shown to harm fish in many respects, from the disorder of their reproductive systems, to the atrophy of their growth and damage to the liver.
It is feared that it could also have negative impacts on humans, however more research is needed. Microplastics can also become carcinogenic or mutagenic, which means that they can potentially increase the risk of cancer or DNA mutations.
Typically, wastewater treatment plants remove microplastics in two stages.
The first one filters them from the surface of the water, although this is only a small part; the rest is removed with chemicals that bind the particles into larger groups that sink into the water and can be separated.
The problem with these chemicals, such as polyacrylamide, is that they can break down into other toxic compounds.
For this reason, Srinivasan and his colleagues continue to investigate how some extracts that can be obtained in supermarkets such as okra, aloe, cactus, among others, behave.
The researchers tested carbohydrate chains known as polysaccharides, from these plants separately, but also in combination with others, in different samples of contaminated water, examining under a microscope before and after to determine the level of particle removal in the water.
Researcher Srinivasan hopes to scale up and commercialize the process by allowing wider access to safe, clean and safe drinking water.
The source of microplastic is the estimated production of about 8 billion tons of plastic in the world since the 1950s, of which less than 10% has been recycled.
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