Microplastics are released into the environment by cosmetics, clothing and industrial processes, or from larger plastic products as they break down naturally.
The pollutants eventually find their way into rivers and oceans, posing problems for marine life. Filtering and removing the small particles from water is a difficult task, but acoustic waves may provide a solution.
Researchers at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology in Surabaya, Indonesia, have developed a filtration prototype using two speakers to create acoustic waves.
The force produced by the waves separates the microplastics from the water by creating pressure on a tube of inflowing water. As the tube splits into three channels, the microplastic particles are pressed toward the centre with the clean water flowing toward the two outer channels.
The prototype device cleaned 150 litres per hour of polluted water and was tested with three different microplastics. Each was filtered with...