https://news.ubc.ca/2023/08/16/microplastic-pollution-plants-could-be-the-answer/ Search UBC News [ ] Search The University of British Columbia UBC - A Place of Mind The University of British Columbia UBC Search UBC Search UBC News * Home * News Tips * Arts & Humanities * Business, Law & Society * Science, Health & Technology * University News * Contacts * Services + Services for Journalists + Services for Faculty Home / 2023 / August / 16 / Microplastic pollution: Plants could be the answer UBC postdoctoral researcher Dr. Tianyu Guo is part of a team that developed a wood dust-based filter for removing microplastics from water. Photo: UBC Forestry/Jillian van der Geest UBC postdoctoral researcher Dr. Tianyu Guo is part of a team that developed a wood dust-based filter for removing microplastics from water. Photo: UBC Forestry/Jillian van der Geest * Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) * Microplastic pollution: Plants could be the answer Science, Health & Technology Aug 16, 2023 | For more information, contact Lou Corpuz-Bosshart UBC device uses wood dust to trap up to 99.9 per cent of microplastics in water Could plants be the answer to the looming threat of microplastic pollution? Scientists at UBC's BioProducts Institute found that if you add tannins--natural plant compounds that make your mouth pucker if you bite into an unripe fruit--to a layer of wood dust, you can create a filter that traps virtually all microplastic particles present in water. While the experiment remains a lab set-up at this stage, the team is convinced that the solution can be scaled up easily and inexpensively once they find the right industry partner. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic debris resulting from the breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste. Keeping them out of water supplies is a huge challenge, says Dr. Orlando Rojas, the institute's scientific director and the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Forest Bioproducts. Dr. Orlando Rojas Dr. Orlando Rojas He noted one study which found that virtually all tap water is contaminated by microplastics, and other research which states that more than 10 billion tons of mismanaged plastic waste will be dispersed in the environment by 2025. "Most solutions proposed so far are costly or difficult to scale up. We're proposing a solution that could potentially be scaled down for home use or scaled up for municipal treatment systems. Our filter, unlike plastic filters, does not contribute to further pollution as it uses renewable and biodegradable materials: tannic acids from plants, bark, wood and leaves, and wood sawdust--a forestry byproduct that is both widely available and renewable." Captures a wide variety of plastics For their study, the team analyzed microparticles released from popular tea bags made of polypropylene. They found that their method (they're calling it "bioCap") trapped from 95.2 per cent to as much as 99.9 per cent of plastic particles in a column of water, depending on plastic type. When tested in mouse models, the process was proved to prevent the accumulation of microplastics in the organs. Dr. Rojas, a professor in the departments of wood science, chemical and biological engineering, and chemistry at UBC, adds that it's difficult to capture all the different kinds of microplastics in a solution, as they come in different sizes, shapes and electrical charges. "There are microfibres from clothing, microbeads from cleansers and soaps, and foams and pellets from utensils, containers and packaging. By taking advantage of the different molecular interactions around tannic acids, our bioCap solution was able to remove virtually all of these different microplastic types." Collaborating on sustainable solutions The UBC method was developed in collaboration with Dr. Junling Guo, a professor at the Center of Biomass Materials and Nanointerfaces at Sichuan University in China. Marina Mehling (she/her), a PhD student at UBC's department of chemical and biological engineering, and Dr. Tianyu Guo (she/her), a postdoctoral researcher at the BioProducts Institute, also contributed to the work. "Microplastics pose a growing threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health, demanding innovative solutions. We're thrilled that the BioProducts Institute's multidisciplinary collaboration has brought us closer to a sustainable approach to combat the challenges posed by these plastic particles," said Dr. Rojas. Interview language(s): English (Rojas, Tianyu Guo, Mehling), Mandarin (Tianyu Guo) Multimedia assets: * Link to study * Dropbox (images and b-roll) Related links: * Learn more about the BioProducts Institute * UBC microplastics cluster symposium highlights groundbreaking research and discussions on microplastic pollution * UBC entrepreneurs join fight against plastic pollution Find other stories about: bioCap, Bioproducts Institute, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, Faculty of Forestry, Microplastics, Plastic, plastic pollution, Plastic waste, sustainability, wood science Contact Lou Corpuz-Bosshart UBC Media Relations Cell: 604-999-0473 Email: lou.bosshart@ubc.ca Jillian van der Geest UBC Faculty of Forestry Cell: 250-580-3654 Email: jillian.vandergeest@ubc.ca News Tips News Tips Looking for story ideas? Check out our latest News Tips! Find UBC Experts An information source that gives journalists access to UBC's expertise. 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