Tiny Plastics, Big Problem: Which Filter Works Best?

Overview

Microplastics are a growing environmental concern due to their presence in water systems and potential impact on potential ecosystems and human health. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of common household materials in filtering microplastics from water. A model system was created using 16oz clear soda bottles cut in half with the top inverted to form a funnel. Five different filtration materials- gravel, charcoal, cotton, coffee filters and sand- were tested. A mixture of a 1/4 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon of glitter (used to simulate microplastics) was poured through each filtration setup. Three trials were conducted for each material with filtration times of 30, 60, and 120 seconds. The clarity of the filtered water and the amount of glitter removed were observed and compared. Results showed that the cotton was the most effective material, removing the most amount of glitter and producing the clearest water. Sand captured a significant amount of glitter but the water was still dirty, charcoal removed some microplastics but was less effective due to its porous structure. Coffee filters removed some but still about half of the glitter remained in the water. While gravel was the least effective allowing most of the glitter to pass through the material due to larger gaps between the material. This experiment demonstrates material density and pore size play important roles in microplastic filtration, with finer, more compact materials providing better filtration. These findings suggest that simple, low cost materials like cotton may have potential for improving basic water filtration systems.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Earth & Environmental Sciences (Junior Division) · Entry J-08-12

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