This Fabric-Like Technology Could Revolutionize Microplastic Filtration

The more we learn about just how ubiquitous microplastics and nanoplastics are, the harder it seems like it will be to remove them from the things we consume every day — like water. Fortunately, a group of researchers has been hard at work coming up with a unique devices that can effectively remove the small plastics from our drinking water, eliminating one of the many ways we ingest them.

Read on to learn more about this development — but of course, not all water pitchers that can filter microplastics are built the same, so continue reading for our recommendations of water filters that claim to filter microplastics.

A University of Missouri researcher and her team have been working on a system to help remove microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water. The task has proved challenging, because many of the filters that people use today actually release microplastics into the water while they work, lead researcher Maryam Salehi explained to the University of Missouri's Show Me Mizzou.

The good news is that Salehi thinks she may have solved the issue thanks to a fabric-like material, referred to in the study as a novel nanofibrous filter media, which can be attached to a faucet.

This low-tech solution is made from polyvinyl alcohol fibers, which are both biocompatible and low-cost, making them an accessible option for just about anyone looking for cleaner drinking water.

And it's not just the plastics that Salehi's filter is catching, either. According to lab tests, the polyvinyl membrane was also able to remove up to 69 percent of the lead content from water.

“We still need to test the filter to see how it tolerates other conditions — such as disinfectant use in water — but the idea is to hopefully have something that can be commercialized and used to easily purify tap water,” Salehi told Show Me Mizzou after publishing an article on her findings in the Journal of Applied Polymer Science.

You may not have to wait for Salehi to further her research, since there are a few products on the market currently that also claim to filter microplastics from water. But as a reminder, Show Me Mizzou noted that many of these systems are made of plastics, and can add microplastics back into to water during the filtration process.

The LifeStraw by Vestergaard uses a double layer of membranes to filter tap water, with one layer removing microplastics that are larger than 0.2 microns and one focusing on those that are larger than .02 microns.

LifeStraw offers a variety of products that use these dual membranes, including a personal straw, pitcher, and gravity filter.

The Santevia filtration system claims to work using granules of active carbon, ion-exchange resin, and kinetic degradation amongst other things, all of which allow the products to not only remove toxic contaminants including forever chemicals, lead, and others, but the company says this filtration system can also add some of those good elements (like calcium) back into your water.

Santevia's products include at-home filtration systems, bathwater filters, and personal water bottles.

Berkey Water Systems claims that its Black Berkey filters can remove microplastics from the water while also eliminating pathogens, bacteria, and viruses. These filters can be used in several of Berkey's popular water filtration systems, including Imperial, Crown, and Go.

Just be sure to visit the company's website for a full listing of systems if you already have a Berkey and are hoping to just swap out your filter.