A Straightforward Approach for the Removal of Microplastics from Water: Utilization of SLIPS.

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs), as a problematic pollutant in the 21st century, have been found in seawater, surface water, soil, plants, animals, and the human body. This pollutant has detrimental effects on the environment and human health. Therefore, the removal of MPs from our ecosystem is an emerging demand. Herein, a straightforward strategy for the removal of MPs from water is presented. The utilization of slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) for MPs removal from aqueous media is introduced in this work for the first time as a fast, simple, and highly efficient method. Polystyrene MPs were removed with high yield and rapidly from water by using a laser-ablated plexiglass (poly(methyl methacrylate)) infused with silicon oil, and the mechanism of this process is suggested. This work introduces a research area (MPs removal with SLIPS), which is very crucial for the environment and human health.