Fish gills may inspire a surprising solution from one of our biggest sources. microplastic. Using animal filtration systems could help remove the vast majority of harmful plastic particles from washing machine wastewater, according to researchers at Germany's University of Bonn.
Microplastic are a huge problem. Currently they can be found as inside our bodies as well as some of the earthly the most remote places. In addition to taking thousands of years to decompose, particles are increasingly associated with wide range of health problems.
Our dirty laundry secretly contributes to the creation of huge amounts of microplastics. Researchers evaluate washing machine In a house of four, up to 500 grams of microplastics are generated annually due to abrasion and damage to textiles. These discarded clothing particles then travel through wastewater into sewer systems and ultimately into wastewater treatment plants. Because some of the wastewater often ends up in agricultural fertilizers, microplastics end up on farmland.
University of Bonn biologist and study co-author Leandra Hamann explained that while washing machines often include various filter systems, they are far from perfect.
“Some of them clog quickly, others do not provide adequate filtration,” Hamann. says the statement.
Developing alternative filtration methods could significantly reduce the amount of microplastics in laundry, Hamann said. Instead of exploring advanced engineering concepts, she and her team turned to millions of years of animal evolution for inspiration.
Fish such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel have a funnel-shaped gill arch system that works similar to a cross-flow filtration system. As water passes through the mouth and esophagus, ridge-like structures covered with tiny teeth form an elastic mesh that filters out unwanted particles. The gill arch system works as a filter and means to catch the fish next time.
“During meals, water flows through the permeable wall of the funnel, is filtered, and then the particle-free water is released back into the environment through the gills,” added biologist and study co-author Alexander Blanke. “However, plankton are too large for this; they are held in place by a natural sieve structure. Thanks to their funnel-shaped shape, they then roll down to the esophagus, where they collect until the fish swallow them, which will empty and cleanse the system.”
This is the tricky part of evolution. Because the arches roll down toward the esophagus, it is much more difficult for particles to clog the filter.
After experimenting with different cell sizes and funnel opening angles, Hamann and her colleagues settled on a design that rivals all eras of evolutionary fine-tuning.
“So we found a combination of parameters that allows our filter to separate more than 99 percent of the microplastics from the water without clogging,” Hamann said.
After capturing microplastics, the system collects them in the filter outlet and then sucks them out several times per minute. The team suggests that with small changes to the washing machine, it could eventually compress the plastic to remove excess water before molding it into pellets. After a few dozen washes, the owner could simply remove the plastic block and properly throw it away with regular waste.
The study authors also say that their new filter does not require complex mechanical parts and is extremely cheap to produce. With the patent pending, the team hopes that washing machine manufacturers will soon help improve the system and integrate it into their own products.
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