Plant Power: Plants That Help Reduce Microplastic Pollution
Microplastics are all around us. From the water we drink to the soil our food grows in. Even rainfall contains microplastics! This problem is one of the most pressing aspects of our climate crisis. Luckily, research is beginning to show that certain plants might be our greatest ally in the fight against microplastics. So, let’s dig into the role of a few powerful plants in helping reduce microplastic pollution.
Okra and fenugreek
Research is beginning to show that plant extracts from slimy plants like okra, fenugreek, cactus, aloe, and tamarind are able to successfully “trap” and remove microplastics in water. According to one study, okra and fenugreek extracts were able to remove up to 90% of microplastics in ocean water, freshwater and groundwater. Plus, in some cases the plant extracts were significantly more effective than the synthetic chemicals commonly used in wastewater treatment!
Water hyacinth
Studies show that certain aquatic plants, such as water hyacinth, can collect microplastic particles on their roots (without taking them up into the plant). In one study, water hyacinths removed as much as 78% of the microplastic particles after five days. This happens because microplastics become entangled in the plants’ dense, fibrous root systems, effectively filtering them from the soil. And if the plants are uprooted or harvested, the microplastics are then removed from the environment entirely.
This discovery could one day lead to the use of aquatic plants, sustainably and effectively helping to reduce and prevent microplastic pollution ponds, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and other slow-flowing waterways.
Fava beans, wheat and lettuce
Early research also shows that a few other common plants and agricultural crops can also help reduce microplastics in their environment. One study showed that fava beans can collect nanoplastics (a smaller subtype of microplastics) through their roots over the course of a few days, while wheat and lettuce were able to collect plastic particles at their roots or even absorb them into their leaves or stems.
This is a promising lead into the possibilities of the discovery of a wider variety of common plants to aid in soil clean-up.
Seagrass
It is no secret that our oceans are cluttered with microplastics. Luckily, research shows that seagrass can help trap floating plastics and bring them to shore. As the seagrass’s leaves shed in autumn, they wash up in bundles on the shore, carrying intertwined pieces of plastics and microplastics with them. The study reported that, per kg of the washed up leaves, as many as 613 plastic pieces washed up with them. Once they’re on shore, we can safely clean them up, preventing them washing back out to deeper waters and accumulating in our environment.
What you can do
These promising breakthroughs are exciting, sustainable alternatives for microplastic cleanup in our environment — but they can't solve this problem alone. We all need to do our part to reduce microplastic pollution by cleaning up our environment and preventing their creation in the first place. Here’s how to start:
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Incorporate some of these powerful plants in your garden or landscaping
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Participate in beach cleanups to help seagrasses tidy up our environment
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Reduce microplastics in your home and the environment by choosing 100% plastic-free products, like our microplastic-free water bottles, baby bottles, and lunch containers
At Pura Stainless, our mission is to provide families like yours with practical solutions to protect your health and the environment, powered by science and nature. Whether it’s the plants you grow or the bottles you drink from, every choice matters in the fight against microplastic pollution. To start choosing better options for your health, the environment, and future generations, make the switch from daily pollutants, like conventional water bottles and food containers, to our 100% plastic-free, eco-friendly products today.
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