00:00Microplastics and their smaller cousins, nanoplastics, have been found in every corner of our planet.
00:09But more worrying, they have also been found inside us.
00:12It's still unclear just how damaging that might be for the human body, which is why
00:16University of Missouri researchers have developed a way to get them out of our water.
00:20Their method involves adding a mildly toxic natural liquid to water containing those plastics.
00:25When mixed, it grabs upwards of 98% of all nanoscopic polystyrene beads that are present,
00:31removing them from fresh and seawater.
00:33However, that liquid then floats to the surface, where it can be filtered out alongside all
00:37of the nanoplastic particles.
00:39The researchers say this is not only a sustainable solution to the nanoplastic problem, but also
00:43a cost-effective one.
00:44They add that the same technique could be used for more than just plastics, but also
00:48other pollutants in our water, specifically forever chemicals.
00:51Columbia University environmental chemists have previously found that every liter of
00:56bottled water contains upwards of 240,000 nanoplastic particles.
01:01What's worse, nanoplastics are magnets for other harmful chemicals, like heavy metals
01:05and flame retardants, meaning this method of removing plastic from our water could also
01:09help rid our bodies of many other things we don't want inside them.
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