Waterborne Microplastic Removal Using Bioengineered Magnetic Nanoparticles

Overview

Microplastic pollution is associated with neurological, inflammatory, cardiac, and cancerous effects. Current water treatment approaches remain costly and environmentally damaging. This study aimed to develop a sustainable, biodegradable, and economical method to remove microplastics from water. Polysaccharide mucilage was extracted from Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) with and without NaCl to evaluate viscosity and microplastic flocculation capacity. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were introduced as a magnetic separation agent, and varying CaCl₂ concentrations were tested to optimize mucilage–nanoparticle binding. Trigonella foenum‑graecum (fenugreek) was evaluated as a flocculation enhancer. Removal efficiency was quantified using fluorescence imaging and plate‑reader analysis of fluorescent microplastics. During testing, high-viscosity mucilage under elevated NaCl and fenugreek conditions posed pipetting challenges. This was resolved by modifying the pipette tip to widen the bore, enabling consistent dosing across test conditions. NaCl increased mucilage viscosity and improved microplastic binding. CaCl₂ facilitated mucilage coating of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, enabling magnetic isolation of microplastic–mucilage complexes. Low CaCl₂ and low fenugreek concentrations produced the highest removal efficiency (99.03%), while higher concentrations increased slurry thickness or bond strength, reducing ease of handling and nanoparticle reusability. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles coated with mucilage removed 95–99% of microplastics from contaminated water, and washing allowed repeated reuse without major loss of performance. This work establishes a scalable, low‑cost, biodegradable microplastic removal system using okra‑derived mucilage and magnetically retrievable nanoparticles. The magnetically responsive mucilage–nanoparticle platform enables rapid, repeatable isolation of clean water using simple magnetic fields.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Earth & Environmental Sciences(Senior Division) · Entry S-08-11

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