While microplastics [1]seem to be everywhere , CNN reports that scientists in China "have come up with a possible solution: [2]a biodegradable sponge made of squid bones and cotton " (which contain two organic compounds "known for eliminating pollution from wastewater...")

> They then tested the sponge in four different water samples, taken from irrigation water, pond water, lake water and sea water, and found it removed up to 99.9% of microplastics, according to a [3]study published last month in Science Advances ... The sponge created by the Wuhan researchers was able to absorb microplastics both by physically intercepting them and through electromagnetic attraction, the study said.

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> Previously studied methods for absorbing plastics tend to be expensive and difficult to make, limiting their scalability. Last year, researchers in Qingdao, China [4]developed a synthetic sponge made of starch and gelatin designed to remove microplastics from water, though its efficacy varied depending on water conditions. The low cost and wide availability of both cotton and squid bones mean [the Chinese researchers' sponge] "has great potential to be used in the extraction of microplastic from complex water bodies," according to the study.

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> Shima Ziajahromi, a lecturer at Australia's Griffith University who studies microplastics, called the squid-cotton-sponge method "promising" and said it could be an effective way to "clean up the high risk and vulnerable aquatic ecosystem." However, the study's authors did not address whether the sponge can remove microplastics that sink to the sediment, which is the majority of microplastics in our waters, said Ziajahromi, who was not involved in the study. Another "critical issue" is the proper disposal of the sponges, Ziajahromi said. "Although the material is biodegradable, the microplastics it absorbs need to be disposed of properly," she said. "Without careful management, this process risks transferring microplastics from one ecosystem to another."

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> Ultimately, Ziajahromi added, minimizing plastic pollution is in the first place should remain a "top priority."



[1] https://science.slashdot.org/story/24/12/24/038201/commercial-tea-bags-release-millions-of-microplastics-entering-human-intestinal-cells

[2] https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/17/science/microplastics-sponge-wuhan-china-scn-intl-hnk/index.html

[3] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adn8662

[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389423009688