South Korean experts have created the world’s first filter to remove microscopic plastic particles from water.
Seoul, South Korea: Be it plastic bags or containers, they dissolve quickly and break down into fine particles. They are now ubiquitous in the environment, including water, and therefore an environmentally friendly filter has been developed that can filter out microplastic particles from water. It is also said to be the world’s first microplastic blocking filter.
Scientists at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea have developed an eco-friendly technology that specifically removes micro- and nano-sized particles from water.
On the other hand, water can usually contain plastic particles up to 5 mm in diameter and can be extremely harmful to both humans and animals. These plastic particles have also been found in human blood. A team of UN experts continues to look at the human impact of microplastics.
Dr. Cho Hyukil of the Daegu Institute and his colleagues in collaboration with other institutions in Korea have developed an electrochemical device that separates fine plastic particles from water by electrophoresis.
However, it works in a triboelectric fashion and the filter also has a deep penetrating membrane structure that traps plastic particles many times better than other filters. Eco-friendly and no toxic compounds are used in the filter.
The research on this filter has been published in the journal Nano Energy.