Student invents a filter that removes 96% of microplastics from drinking water/Estudiante inventa un filtro que elimina el 96% de los microplásticos del agua potable
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x306:751x308)/mia-heller-microplastics-32526-32793352219d428e9e092ecd0c08912d.jpg)
Source
We've already discussed at length on this blog the potential dangers of microplastics, which, as you all know, are tiny plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters in size, derived from the fragmentation of larger waste or intentionally manufactured. Because they are insoluble and resistant to natural degradation, they are almost impossible to eliminate once released into the environment and end up being ingested by marine life, ultimately reaching our bodies since we are at the top of the food chain.
Ya hemos comentado hasta la saciedad en este blog los peligros potenciales de los micro-plásticos que, como todos sabéis, son diminutas partículas de plástico, menores a 5 milímetros, derivadas de la fragmentación de residuos mayores o fabricadas intencionalmente. Al no ser solubles y ser resistentes a la degradación natural, son casi imposibles de eliminar una vez liberados en el medio ambiente y acaban siendo ingeridos por la fauna marina y finalmente acaban en nuestro cuerpo ya que estamos en el final de la cadena alimenticia.
To try and solve this problem, 18-year-old American high school student Mia Heller has created an innovative filtration system that uses a magnetic liquid to remove microplastics from water. Her prototype proved capable of removing up to 95.52% of these particles in tests. Mia developed this filtration system after reading about water pollution in her community and seeing the high maintenance costs of traditional home filters, which require frequent membrane replacements.
Para intentar solucionar este problema la estudiante estadounidense de secundaria Mía Heller de 18 años, ha creado un innovador sistema de filtrado, que utiliza un líquido magnético para eliminar micro-plásticos del agua. Su prototipo demostró ser capaz de eliminar hasta un 95.52% de estas partículas en las pruebas. Mia desarrolló este sistema de filtración después de leer sobre la contaminación del agua en su comunidad y ver los altos costos de mantenimiento de los filtros domésticos tradicionales, que requieren el cambio frecuente de membranas.
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/7d/79/7d79b0d0-dbe5-420b-970a-f5a284323425/isef_project_presentation_17.png)
Source
The major innovation of their invention is that it completely eliminates the need for solid filter membranes, which could reduce costs and maintenance requirements. Instead, it uses a magnetic separation method based on three key steps. First, a "liquid magnet" is used, employing a ferrofluid, a magnetic oil that can be manipulated by magnetic fields. As water flows through the system, the ferrofluid selectively binds to the microplastic particles present in the water.
La gran innovación de su invento es que prescinde por completo de las membranas de filtro sólidas, lo que podría reducir el costo y la necesidad de mantenimiento. En su lugar, utiliza un método de separación magnética que se basa en tres pasos clave. Primeramente se usa un "imán líquido" que emplea un ferrofluido, que es un aceite magnético capaz de ser manipulado por campos magnéticos. Cuando el agua fluye a través del sistema, el ferrofluido se une selectivamente a las partículas de micro-plástico presentes en el agua.
Next, a magnetic field is applied, attracting the ferrofluid with the attached microplastics and separating them from the clean water. One of the most ingenious features is that the system is designed to be a closed loop; the ferrofluid is recovered and can be reused, making it more efficient and sustainable. The student even created a turbidity sensor to measure the effectiveness of her prototype. The results obtained with the prototype are very promising: it removed 95.52% of the microplastics from the water, a figure that surpasses the 70% to 90% range achieved by conventional methods.
A continuación, se aplica un campo magnético que atrae al ferrofluido con los microplásticos adheridos, separándolos del agua limpia. Una de las características más ingeniosas es que el sistema está diseñado para ser un circuito cerrado, el ferrofluido se recupera y se puede reutilizar, lo que lo hace más eficiente y sostenible. La estudiante incluso creó un sensor de turbidez para medir la efectividad de su prototipo. os resultados obtenidos con el prototipo son muy prometedores, eliminó el 95.52% de los microplásticos del agua, una cifra que supera el rango del 70% al 90% que logran los métodos convencionales.
Source
For this invention, Mia Heller was a finalist at the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in 2025 and received a special $500 award from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Society (PTOS). However, despite its success, the invention still faces some challenges before reaching our homes. Ferrofluid is expensive to produce on a large scale, and therefore, Heller believes its most viable short-term application would be in domestic systems, such as those installed under the sink, rather than in large-scale treatment plants.
Por este invento, Mia Heller fue finalista en la prestigiosa Feria Internacional de Ciencia e Ingeniería Regeneron (ISEF) en 2025 y recibió un premio especial de 500 dólares de la Sociedad de la Oficina de Patentes y Marcas Registradas de EE. UU. (PTOS). Pero, A pesar de su éxito, el invento aún debe superar algunos retos antes de llegar a nuestros hogares, el ferrofluido es caro de producir a gran escala y por ello, Mia Heller considera que su aplicación más viable a corto plazo sería en sistemas domésticos, como los que se instalan debajo del fregadero, en lugar de para grandes plantas de tratamiento.
Some experts point to the need to ensure that the process leaves no ferrofluid residue in the water and that the captured microplastics can be safely and permanently disposed of without causing further pollution. The main limitation mentioned is the cost of producing the ferrofluid on a large scale, which currently makes municipal or mass application impractical. Practical questions also remain regarding the final treatment of the captured microplastics, long-term safety, and performance outside the laboratory.
Algunos expertos señalan la necesidad de asegurar que el proceso no deje residuos del propio ferrofluido en el agua y que los micro-plásticos capturados puedan desecharse de forma segura y definitiva, sin causar una nueva contaminación. La principal limitación mencionada es el coste de producir el ferrofluido a gran escala, que por ahora hace poco viable una aplicación municipal o masiva. También quedan por resolver preguntas prácticas sobre el tratamiento final de los microplásticos capturados, la seguridad a largo plazo y el rendimiento fuera del laboratorio.
More information/Más información
https://people.com/high-school-student-18-invents-filter-that-eliminate-96-of-microplastics-11932477
Yeah, this was my first thought. No idea whether ferrofluid is safe to drink or not. It says "most" of the ferrofluid is recovered, which seems to imply that some could be left behind in the filtered water.
0.00 SBD,
0.87 STEEM,
0.87 SP
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. ;-)
I imagine that they have not realized that depending on the size of the microplastic, certain systems are more damaged than others. If we consider a microplastic around 5 mm, the vast majority can be removed mechanically.
The problem, the big problem, is microplastics less than 1000 nm can cross cell membranes, where all the diseases we suffer from appear.
For me they should eliminate all plastic, as pFAS is another mistake by the industry.
greetings
0.00 SBD,
0.58 STEEM,
0.58 SP
This is truly impressive and inspiring! It’s amazing to see such a young student developing an innovative solution to a serious global problem like microplastics in water.
The idea of using a magnetic liquid instead of traditional filters is really fascinating, especially since it can reduce maintenance and improve efficiency. Of course, as you mentioned, scaling and cost will be important challenges, but the potential here is huge.
Innovations like this give hope for a cleaner and more sustainable future. Thanks for sharing such an interesting and informative post!