Microplastic pollution has grown from an environmental concern to a widespread global issue. These small synthetic particles, measuring less than 5 mm, contaminate rainwater, oceans, soil, and even human blood and organs. Research suggests links between microplastic exposure and various health risks, including inflammation, cardiovascular problems, and developmental issues.
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Conventional wastewater treatment plants often struggle to fully remove these pollutants, allowing them to re-enter the environment and water supply. This situation has led to increased research focused on developing effective and sustainable removal technologies. These advancements address an important challenge to ecosystem health and human well-being.1,2
The Green Chemistry Revolution: Plant-Based Solutions
A promising trend in microplastic remediation uses natural materials for effective water treatment. Researchers are exploring the potential of abundant and non-toxic plant extracts as alternatives to synthetic chemicals.
A study published in ACS Omega highlighted that polysaccharides from common vegetables such as okra and fenugreek exhibit significant microplastic-binding abilities. These extracts, derived by soaking sliced okra pods or fenugreek seeds and drying them into powders, work by causing microplastic particles to clump together (flocculate) and sink.3,4
The research showed 70% to 90% removal rates across different water types, including ocean, freshwater, and groundwater, within an hour. This performance surpasses conventional synthetic flocculants, such as polyacrylamide, which achieved an 81% removal rate.
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These natural extracts avoid the introduction of potentially toxic residues into treated water, offering a safer alternative in environmental technology. This approach exemplifies the shift toward benign-by-design environmental technologies.3,4
Building on this concept of natural flocculation, researchers at the University of British Columbia developed the "bioCap" system. This technology, detailed in Advanced Materials, uses forestry byproducts such as sawdust functionalized with natural plant polyphenols, specifically tannic acid, found in tree bark, leaves, and fruits.
The tannic acid creates strong molecular interactions with diverse microplastic types, including polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). When contaminated water is filtered through the bioCap material, it achieves astonishing removal efficiencies of 95.2% to 99.9%.
Animal studies further demonstrated reduced microplastic accumulation in organs when consuming bioCap-filtered water. The system's use of renewable, biodegradable materials addresses the plastic pollution problem and the need for non-polluting cleanup technologies.5
Advancing Coagulation: Precision and Natural Alternatives
Coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation (CFS) is a workhorse process in water treatment, and recent research focuses on optimizing it specifically for microplastics. A comparative study published in Frontiers in Environmental Science examined the effectiveness of natural coagulants, specifically Strychnos potatorum seeds and Cicer arietinum, also known as chickpea, against the commonly used synthetic coagulant alum for removing polyamide microplastics found in textiles.6
The findings showed that while alum was more efficient for larger microplastics, natural coagulants significantly outperformed alum for smaller particles, achieving up to 92.6% removal efficiency. When tested in natural lake water, Strychnos potatorum consistently maintained strong performance in removing small microplastics, while alum's effectiveness dropped significantly. This suggests that plant-based coagulants may serve as sustainable alternatives in water treatment, particularly for challenging conditions and particle sizes.6
Membrane Filtration Evolves: Targeting the Nanoscale
Membrane filtration remains a highly effective physical barrier method, and recent advancements are enhancing its ability to capture even smaller nanoplastics. Technologies such as ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO) are defined by their pore sizes.
wiRO membranes, with a pore size of approximately 0.0001 micrometers, are highly potent at removing virtually all microplastics and many nanoplastics. However, challenges such as membrane fouling and high operational costs continue to exist. Ongoing innovations are addressing these limitations.7,8
- Functionalized Membranes: Researchers are engineering membrane surfaces with specific chemical properties and biomimetic designs. These advancements aim to improve selectivity for plastic particles and minimize fouling tendencies during filtration processes.7
- Hybrid Systems: Combining membrane filtration with pre-treatment steps such as optimized coagulation using natural extracts or adsorption can enhance efficiency and the lifespan of membranes.7
- Point-of-Use Applications: Companies are utilizing these technologies in consumer products. For example, Clearly Filtered pitchers and Epic Water filters feature advanced filtration media that have been independently verified to remove over 99.9% and 99.25% of microplastics from tap water, respectively. These systems provide critical last-line-of-defense purification for household water.8
Emerging and Integrated Microplastic Removal Technologies
Beyond these established pathways, cutting-edge research is actively exploring novel mechanisms for removing microplastics from water. One promising approach involves functionalized magnetic nanoparticles that bind to microplastics, allowing for their easy retrieval with magnets.
Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven systems are being developed to integrate sensor technology and AI. It will enable real-time detection and automated removal processes, which may enhance overall efficiency in water treatment.7
The study of enhanced bioremediation seeks to engineer microorganisms capable of breaking down specific plastic polymers, although challenges related to speed and scalability remain. Another intriguing method is plasmonic photocatalysis, which employs specialized nanoparticles to generate reactive species through light that can decompose microplastic polymers into less harmful components.7
Why These Innovations Are Critical
Developing and deploying advanced microplastic removal technologies are urgent necessities driven by several converging factors.
- Escalating pollution and proven inadequacy: Current municipal wastewater treatment, although improved, still allows microplastics to enter rivers, lakes, and oceans, contributing to pollution. New technologies are needed to upgrade existing plants and develop decentralized solutions.2
- The nanoplastic challenge: Recent research has highlighted the existence and potential dangers of extremely small nanoplastics (less than 1 micrometer) that can cross biological barriers such as the gut or placenta. As a result, removal technologies must advance to target this troublesome fraction effectively. RO and advanced functionalized membrane techniques are essential in addressing this issue.1
- Human health imperative: The presence of microplastics in human blood, lungs, placentas, and brains points to a clear route of human exposure with unclear long-term effects. Cleaner drinking water is essential for public health, as studies connect placental microplastics to preterm birth risks.1
- Sustainability and circularity: Solutions should not worsen the issue. Technologies that use plant-based, biodegradable materials such as okra extracts or bioCap, along with methods for material recovery like magnetic separation, support green chemistry principles and a circular economy while preventing secondary pollution.4,5
From Innovation to Implementation
The past two years have seen notable advances in microplastic removal technologies. What began with simple filtration methods has evolved into more sophisticated and sustainable approaches grounded in natural chemistry and material science.
Recent techniques include the use of plant-based flocculants derived from okra and fenugreek, along with natural coagulants designed to capture smaller plastic particles. Engineered solutions like bioCap systems are also showing encouraging results. Meanwhile, emerging developments involving magnetic nanoparticles and AI-driven systems point to even greater potential ahead.
Despite these promising innovations, key hurdles remain, particularly in scaling these solutions, integrating them with existing infrastructure, and building the necessary regulatory frameworks. Adopting these technologies is essential if we are serious about tackling plastic pollution.
References and Further Reading
- Microplastics: Are we facing a new health crisis – and what can be done about it? (2025). World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/02/how-microplastics-get-into-the-food-chain/
- Harmful microplastics infiltrating drinking water. (2025). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250421162936.htm
- Srinivasan, R. et al. (2025). Fenugreek and Okra Polymers as Treatment Agents for the Removal of Microplastics from Water Sources. ACS Omega. DOI:10.1021/acsomega.4c07476. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.4c07476
- Common vegetable extract found to remove most microplastics in water. (2025). The Independent. https://www.the-independent.com/news/science/water-microplastics-removal-vegetable-extract-b2772927.html
- Wang, Y. et al. (2023). Flowthrough Capture of Microplastics through Polyphenol-Mediated Interfacial Interactions on Wood Sawdust. Advanced Materials, 35(36), 2301531. DOI:10.1002/adma.202301531. https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202301531
- Ramakrishnan, D., & Sathiyamoorthy, M. (2025). Enhancing the remediation of polyamide microplastics: A comparative study of natural and synthetic coagulants. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 13, 1620074. DOI:10.3389/fenvs.2025.1620074. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1620074/full
- Enyoh, C. E. et al. (2025). A Review of Materials for the Removal of Micro- and Nanoplastics from Different Environments. Micro, 5(2), 17. DOI:10.3390/micro5020017. https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8023/5/2/17
- Water Filters That Remove Microplastics. Water Purification Guide. https://waterpurificationguide.com/water-filters-that-remove-microplastics/
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