Microplastic pollution poses a global threat to marine life. Effective and eco-friendly solutions for removing microplastics(MPs) from water are urgently required. This study aims to capture microplastics with magnetic nano-adsorbents and remove them from the water using strong magnets.

Magnetic carbon nanotubes (M-CNTs) were synthesized as nano-adsorbents because they can successfully adhere to the surfaces of MPs due to their strong hydrophobicity.

The study tested various experimental parameters that affect the adsorption of MPs by M-CNTs, including the amount of adsorbent, contact time, salinity of water, and MP polymer type. The results showed that the water was cleansed of microplastics with an average success rate of ≈98%. Furthermore, for real-life applications, a magnetic water treatment machine using robotics was built.

I live near the shore, and my inspiration for this project stems from witnessing firsthand the devastating impact of microplastics on our environment. Later, I discovered that traditional methods were failing to remove microplastics from water effectively. Therefore, I worked on a novel magnetic method to remove microplastics from water.