Show-Me State Times

Water filters on the market today can remove some contaminants, but they are not designed to capture microplastics. Some of these filters may actually introduce small plastics into drinking water during the filtration process. These microplastics can cause inflammation, increase the risk of cancer, and act as carriers for harmful chemicals that trigger other health problems.

University of Missouri researcher Maryam Salehi and collaborators are developing a new method to trap these tiny particles through a fabric-like filter.

“The idea is to design a filter that can be attached to a faucet so it can remove microplastic and lead at the same time from tap water,” said Salehi, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in Mizzou’s College of Engineering. “We’re envisioning an inexpensive point-of-use filter that could connect to any faucet.”

The filter membrane is made from polyvinyl alcohol fibers, which are polymers currently used in biomedical applications. The team chose the material because it is low-cost and biocompatible, meaning it is not toxic to humans, animals, or plants.

In lab tests, the membrane was able to remove nearly 100% of larger microplastics and nearly 80% of the smallest microplastics while also removing about 70% of lead contamination.

“We still need to test the filter to see how it tolerates other conditions — such as disinfectant use in water — but the idea is to hopefully have something that can be commercialized and used to easily purify tap water,” Salehi said.

The team outlined their findings in a cover article published in Applied Polymer Science. Co-authors include Anandu Gopakumar Nair, a doctoral student at Mizzou; Alexander Ccanccapa, a post-doctoral researcher; and Kati Bell, an industry partner. The work is supported by Brown and Caldwell as well as the National Science Foundation.

Salehi is a core researcher at MizzouForward, which brings together stakeholders from academia, industry, and government to advance water research.

MizzouForward represents the University of Missouri’s boldest investment in its history. Launched as a 10-year transformational effort focusing on faculty excellence, infrastructure growth, and student success, it aims to provide world-class education and conduct cutting-edge research.

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