Anand Mahindra, Chairman and CEO of Mahindra Group, hailed ground-breaking research being done in the country that often misses the headlines in the mainstream media. He also highlighted that importance of giving recognition to such innovations so that others are encouraged to follow.
In a post on X (formally Twitter), the industrialist drew attention to the latest innovation from researchers at IISc Bangalore, which aims to remove the increasing menace of microplastics from the environment.
"There seems to be ground-breaking research going on around the country which doesn’t often make headlines. But if their work is validated, then we are looking at disruptive innovators in the ‘Planet Positive’ movement… If they and other researchers get the recognition they deserve, many more will follow….," read Mahindra's post that shared the link to the development from the institute.
The IISc researchers have designed a sustainable hydrogel to remove microplastics from water. The material can bind the contaminants and degrade them using UV light irradiation.
Microplastics are tiny plastic debris that can enter our bodies through the water we drink and expose us to illnesses and are also a big concern for their adverse impact on the environment.
Most microplastics are a product of incomplete breakdown of household plastics and fibres.
The hydrogel could last up to five cycles of microplastic removal without significant loss of efficacy. The highly efficient compound could remove about 95 percent and 93 percent of the two different types of microplastics from water.
Moving forward, the researchers plan to work with collaborators to develop a device that can be deployed on a large scale to help clean up microplastics from various water sources, according to a release from the institute.