The slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds can trap microplastics better than the slightly-toxic synthetic polymer in use.
"The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer.
Texas researchers proposed in 2022 using these sticky natural polymers to clean up water. Now, they’ve found that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics from ocean water, freshwater, and groundwater.
With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues at Tarleton State University found that the plant-based polymers from okra, fenugreek, and tamarind stick to microplastics, clumping together and sinking for easy separation from water.
In this next stage of the research, they have optimized the process for okra and fenugreek extracts and tested results in a variety of types of water.
To extract the sticky plant polymers, the team soaked sliced okra pods and blended fenugreek seeds in separate containers of water overnight. Then, researchers removed the dissolved extracts from each solution and dried them into powders.
Analyses published in the American Chemical Society journal showed that the powdered extracts contained polysaccharides, which are natural polymers. Initial tests in pure water spiked with microplastics showed that:
One gram of either powder in a quart (one liter) of water trapped microplastics the most effectively.
Dried okra and fenugreek extracts removed 67% and 93%, respectively, of the plastic in an hour.
A mixture of equal parts okra and fenugreek powder reached maximum removal efficiency (70%) within 30 minutes.
The natural polymers performed significantly better than the synthetic, commercially available polyacrylamide polymer used in wastewater treatment.
Then the researchers tested the plant extracts on real microplastic-polluted water. They collected samples from waterbodies around Texas and brought them to the lab. The plant extract removal efficiency changed depending on the original water source.
Okra worked best in ocean water (80%), fenugreek in groundwater (80-90%), and the 1:1 combination of okra and fenugreek in freshwater (77%).
The researchers hypothesize that the natural polymers had different efficiencies because each water sample had different types, sizes and shapes of microplastics.
Polyacrylamide, which is currently used to remove contaminants during wastewater treatment, has low toxicity, but its precursor acrylamide is considered toxic. Okra and fenugreek extracts could serve as biodegradable and nontoxic alternatives.
“Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water,” said Srinivasan in a media release, “thus reducing long-term health risks to the population.”
She had previously studied the use of food-grade plant extracts as non-toxic flocculants to remove textile-based pollutants from wastewater and thought, ‘Why not try microplastics?’"
I started working on a braided rug earlier this month, using some of the quilting cotton that I have too much of. It's inspired by some very old rugs that my grandparents had.
I'm tearing the fabric into 4 cm wide strips, double folding it and slipstitching the edges together, then braiding it and whipstitching the edges of the braid together, around and around. I also pressed the fabric strips carefully after tearing them, and have been pressing the rug every time I go around the ends to prevent it from warping. It's coming along slowly and is currently 16 cm wide. I've used up almost one metre of fabric so far, and am about to switch to a different piece of green cotton.
I'm not using it as an iron, I'm just using it to hold the braid down while I work on it.
It's the very old iron from this post that gets way way too hot to safely use, so it's been demoted to Weight. (I gave the cord away to a sickly vintage flap toaster that needed it.)
what is the most common/likely natural disaster where you live?
earthquakes
floods
tornadoes
tsunamis
landslides/avalanches
wildfires
volcanic eruptions
blizzards
hurricanes/cyclones
other/bald/results
Voting ended onApr 24, 2025
I'm really curious about this!! in aotearoa, every classroom I was in growing up had posters up on how to respond to an earthquake. "drop, cover, hold" was drilled into me from a very young age. I experienced a few growing up, but they were mild because I don't live in areas where they are more extreme. One of our major cities, christchurch/ōtautahi, gets hit by earthquakes very frequently. if you look at a global seismic hazard map, aotearoa is fully lit up in the colour indicating high hazard chance. wild!!!
for reference, in the UK (similar size country) there are around 20-30 noticeable earthquakes per year. in aotearoa, that number is around 100-250!
I went for a walk today and the spring ephemerals were out! Wild strawberries and trout lily, plus some beautiful myrtle that I didn't think to photograph. Also I went through some boggy ground and soaked my left foot and had to stop and wring out my sock lmao. But there was a beautiful place to picnic in the shade while I waited for my shoes to dry a bit.
The scene depicts a type of duel known as "Anzogenrennen", so named because of the target attached to the left side of the breastplate.The purpose of the German Rennen open field duel was to attack the opponent and throw him off his horse with a strong spear. Elector Augustus of Saxony (1526-1586) proved his bravery and skill in 55 jousting tournaments between 1544 and 1566. The presented knight's armor, made after 1553 by the Wittenberg armorer Sigmund Rockenberger (died 1577) for August, consists of a heavy knight's salad "Rennhut" and a buff bolted to the breastplate. A narrow back rest, spear rest, plaques, folds and tassels complete the set. A large plate on the spear protects the right arm, and the "Streifartschen" knee pads attached to the saddle cover the hips in the riding position.The surfaces were decorated with etching and fluting in a style more typical of the 1530s.
The painting depicts a tournament scene , painted in 1590 by Heinrich Göding (1531-1606), depicting the "Anzogenrennen" between Elector August of Saxony and Elector of the Saxon court Heinrich von Schoenberg (1500-1575), which took place in 1549 in Meissen.
tangentwithtanner
blakekathryn
andulkaphoto
turnnoffyourmind
areudirty
