New magnetic material removes 95% of microplastics from water

Scientists at RMIT University in Australia have built a reusable magnetic material that removed more than 95% of micro- and nanoplastics from water within one hour and showed early promise against some PFAS.The new water treatment technology captures plastic particles down to 30 nanometres while also pulling out toxic heavy metals, drug residues, and industrial dyes. The findings were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal in a paper titled "Scalable room-temperature synthesis of a MOF-based magnetic adsorbent for rapid simultaneous removal of PFAS and micro-nanoplastics" by lead author Dr Muhammad Haris alongside co-authors Professor Nicky Eshtiaghi and Associate Professor Nasir Mahmood from RMIT University.Rapid cleaning under real-world conditionsIn laboratory testing, the magnetic powder eliminated more than 95% of tiny plastic bits, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyester, across both fresh and salty water.