Scientists unexpectedly discovered that these natural plant extracts have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in capturing microplastics. Microplastics, the invisible killers that pollute the ocean, rivers and even drinking water, seem to have encountered natural enemies.
In fact, scientists have discovered that extracts of okra and fenugreek can effectively remove microplastics from seawater, fresh water and groundwater, with a removal rate as high as 90%. This important discovery was recently published in the ACS Omega journal.

Rajani Srinivasan's team's research in 2022 demonstrated the effectiveness of plant extracts in various water bodies. Rajani Srinivasan and his research team have been exploring safe and environmentally friendly methods to remove pollutants from water. In early laboratory research, they tested extracts of okra, fenuloba and tamarind, and were pleasantly surprised to find that these natural polymers have the ability to adsorb microplastics, which can promote the aggregation and sedimentation of plastics at the bottom of water, thereby simplifying the process of removing plastics from water.

To obtain these viscous plant polymers, the research team immersed the plant materials in water overnight for extraction, and then separated and dried them to obtain powdered extracts. The okra pod slices and the fenugreek seed mixture were respectively soaked in water for overnight extraction. After that, they separated the dissolved extract from the solution and dried it into powder. Analysis shows that these powdered extracts are rich in polysaccharides, a type of natural polymer.

In the actual test of microplastic-contaminated water bodies, the removal efficiency of okra and fenutrigine was significantly higher than that of the currently used polyacrylamide. Preliminary tests indicate:
1.Adding one gram of powder to one quart (approximately one liter) of water can significantly enhance the capture efficiency of microplastics.
2.Dried okra and fenugreek extracts can remove 67% and 93% of plastic respectively within one hour.
3.An equal amount of okra and fenugreek powder mixture can achieve the maximum removal efficiency (70%) within 30 minutes.
4. The performance of these natural polymers is significantly superior to that of synthetic polyacrylamide polymers used for wastewater treatment.

Studies show that biodegradable natural polymers are superior to synthetic polymers in terms of removal efficiency and environmental friendliness. It is worth noting that although polyacrylamide is currently widely used in wastewater treatment, extracts of okra and fenugreek, as a biodegradable and non-toxic alternative, are gaining favor among researchers.

Srinivasan pointed out that the use of natural extracts can reduce environmental pollution and safeguard human health. Using these plant extracts for water treatment can not only effectively remove microplastics but also simultaneously eliminate other pollutants without introducing any toxic substances into the treated water, thus ensuring that the long-term impact on human health is minimized.