Technology Scientists create tiny fish-shaped robot that ‘swims’ around picking up microplastics

[The Helper]

Last week, it was revealed that microplastics were found for the first time in fresh Antarctic snow. They were discovered high in the Alps, bottled water, and human blood.

They can be harmful to animals if ingested. But the growing menace is difficult to remove — considering their size — especially once they settle into nooks and crannies at the bottom of waterways.

Researchers in the American Chemical Society's Nano Letters have devised a solution - a light-activated fish robot that “swims” around quickly, picking up and removing microplastics from the environment. Their work was published on June 22.

"With their larger surface areas and hydrophobicity characteristics, microplastics can strongly absorb heavy metals, toxic organic contaminants, and pathogens, and form microplastic composite pollutants. Furthermore, the microplastic composite pollutants explicitly amplify their biotoxicity and impose unpredictable risks to both aquatic biota and human health via the food chain," lead researcher Xinxing Zhang, Ph.D., Sichuan University, Chengdu, tells IE in an interview.

Scientists create tiny fish-shaped robot that ‘swims’ around picking up microplastics

Researchers in American Chemical Society's Nano Letters have created a fish that can pick up microplastics hidden in nooks and crannies.

interestingengineering.com