Thursday, August 6, 2026
Science

Tangled seaweed inspires one-size-fits-all cleaners for ocean microplastics

Inspired by naturally occurring mats and balls of seaweed, researchers have created highly porous, superadhesive meshes capable of capturing both large and small microplastic particles—a longstanding challenge in the field. The mesh can clean microplastics from both saltwater and freshwater and is m...

Tangled seaweed inspires one-size-fits-all cleaners for ocean microplastics
Image: Phys.org
Inspired by naturally occurring mats and balls of seaweed, researchers have created highly porous, superadhesive meshes capable of capturing both large and small microplastic particles—a longstanding challenge in the field. The mesh can clean microplastics from both saltwater and freshwater and is made from sustainable, widely available biopolymers.

Originally published at Phys.org

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