A study conducted at the Institute of Science and Technology of São Paulo State University (ICT-UNESP) in São José dos Campos, Brazil, shows
A study conducted at the Institute of Science and Technology of São Paulo State University (ICT-UNESP) in São José dos Campos, Brazil, shows that Moringa oleifera, also known as moringa or white acacia, has the potential to remove microplastics from water. The study, titled "Removal of Microplastics from Drinking Water by Moringa oleifera Seed: Comparative Performance with Alum in Direct and in-Line Filtration Systems," is published in the journal ACS Omega. Moringa is native to India and well-adapted to various tropical countries. It is used for a variety of purposes, such as food, through the consumption of its leaves and seeds, which are nutritious. For several years, researchers have studied the potential of the seeds in water treatment. "We showed that the saline extract from the seeds performs similarly to aluminum sulfate, which is used in treatment plants to coagulate water containing microplastics. In more alkaline waters, it performed even better than the chemical product," says Gabrielle Batista, the first author of the study. She conducted the research as part of her master's degree in the Post-Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (PPGECA) at the Bauru School of Engineering (FEB) at UNESP.
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