U.S. High School Student Develops Water Filter that Removes Microplastics

A high school student in Virginia has invented a home filtration system that eliminates about 96% of microplastics in water.

Heller's filtration system, roughly the size of a standard home appliance, uses a magnetic liquid called ferrofluid. (Photo: Mountain Vista Governor's School)

Mia Heller, 18, hopes to eventually bring her prototype to market, saying the technology could help households remove potentially harmful microplastics from drinking water, Toria Sheffield reported for People magazine.

Several years ago, Heller learned that much of the water available to Americans is contaminated with man-made microplastics, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Microplastics are small particles ranging from about 1 nanometer to 5 millimeters in size, often formed when larger plastic debris breaks down over time, according to Harvard Medicine.

Researchers believe these particles may be linked to various health problems in humans and animals.

Heller also said government agencies were not sufficiently funding water filtration programs to address the issue, telling Smithsonian Magazine, “It was up to people to provide their own filtration.”

The Warrenton teen said she saw firsthand how cumbersome such systems can be, particularly how often her mother had to replace membrane filters, which physically trap contaminants.

Her filtration system, roughly the size of a standard home appliance, uses a magnetic liquid called ferrofluid. As water passes through, the ferrofluid binds to microplastic particles, which are then removed using a magnet, leaving cleaner water behind.