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32 results for "microplastics"
After a rocky start with broken parts and failed attempts, the Ocean Cleanup's massive floating device is finally working in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The system now captures everything from fishing nets to tiny microplastics using just ocean currents.
Microsoft's new quantum chip keeps its qubits stable for 20 seconds instead of milliseconds, marking a massive leap toward computers that could solve problems like removing microplastics from our oceans. The company says commercially useful quantum machines could arrive by 2029.
Three 16-year-olds from India just won the Global Earth Prize for inventing a powder made from tamarind seeds that removes microplastics from drinking water using nothing but a magnet. Their solution, called Plas-Stick, works without electricity and costs almost nothing to make.
Illinois just passed groundbreaking legislation to protect its waterways from tiny plastic pellets that poison wildlife and contaminate drinking water. The new law makes the state the first in the Great Lakes region to hold plastic manufacturers accountable for spills of these toxic microplastics.
University of Rochester is combining environmental toxicology and public health into one powerhouse department, creating faster pathways from lab discoveries to real-world solutions. The merger brings together 80 years of research expertise to address modern challenges like microplastics and climate health impacts.
Seven teams of teenagers from around the world just won $100,000 to turn their environmental solutions into reality. Their innovations tackle microplastics, air pollution, and war rubble with materials as simple as tamarind seeds and coconut shells.
A breakthrough laundry filter catches the tiny plastic fibers that shed from synthetic clothing during washing, stopping them before they reach our waterways. About 69% of our clothes contain these microplastics that normally flow straight into rivers and oceans.
Three 16-year-olds from India just won $100,000 for inventing a kitchen-ingredient solution that pulls invisible microplastics from drinking water using nothing but tamarind seed powder and a magnet. Their creation, called Plas-Stick, could help over 2 billion people who lack access to clean water infrastructure.
Scientists engineered algae that smells like oranges to magnetically attract and remove tiny plastic particles from drinking water. The breakthrough could clean wastewater, reduce pollution, and transform captured plastics into safer materials. #
Chinese researchers have engineered a "living plastic" that completely breaks down in six days without leaving behind harmful microplastics. The breakthrough could transform how we handle the billions of tons of plastic waste choking our planet.
Scientists discovered that seeds from the moringa "miracle tree" remove over 98% of microplastics from drinking water, outperforming chemical treatments. The same method may have been used by Ancient Egyptians to purify water thousands of years ago.
New research reveals land releases 20 times more microplastic particles into the air than oceans do, overturning what scientists previously believed. The findings also show that earlier estimates dramatically overestimated how much plastic pollution floats through our atmosphere.
Australian researchers just proved you can slash plastic chemicals in your body by half in just seven days. The secret? Simple changes to how your food touches plastic.
After grant cancellations shook the water infrastructure community in 2025, this year's Water Week delivered unexpected good news. Leaders returned to Washington, D.C., to find new initiatives addressing workforce development, microplastics, and support for low-income families.
Brazilian scientists discovered that common moringa seeds can remove dangerous microplastics from water just as well as harsh chemicals. This natural, low-cost solution could transform water safety in communities worldwide.
Cleveland is transforming Lake Erie into the world's largest digitally monitored freshwater lake with hundreds of sensor buoys tracking pollution in real time. The innovation is helping scientists tackle everything from toxic algae blooms to microplastics.
Scientists discovered their protective gloves were accidentally adding thousands of false plastic particles to pollution research. A chemistry team created new methods to fix contaminated data and help researchers avoid the mistake going forward.
An 18-year-old Virginia high schooler created a water filter that removes 95% of microplastics using magnetic oil. Mia Heller's invention needs no membranes or constant maintenance and recycles itself.
The federal government just announced a groundbreaking $134 million initiative to measure, track, and safely remove microplastics from human bodies and drinking water. Every tested human placenta contains plastic particles, but scientists are finally fighting back.
The EPA just took the first official step toward potentially regulating microplastics in America's drinking water. It's a process that could take years, but advocates say it's an important signal that the government is listening to public health concerns.
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