Researchers at RMIT University have developed a magnetic water treatment material that rapidly removes microplastics, nanoplastics, and certain “forever chemicals” from industrial and municipal wastewater in a single process.
Published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, the technology builds on the research team’s 2022 breakthrough in microplastics removal, extending its performance to nanoscale contaminants down to 30 nanometres and more complex wastewater environments.
In laboratory trials, the metal-organic framework (MOF)-based magnetic adsorbent removed over 95 per cent of micro- and nanoplastics within one hour, with approximately 80 per cent extracted within the first 15 minutes, which aligns with operational contact times in conventional treatment facilities.
The material demonstrated effectiveness across common polymers, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyester, in both fresh and saline water conditions.
It also removed over 95 per cent of co-contaminants, including heavy metals like mercury, chromium, and copper, as well as dyes and pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen. Preliminary testing also shows the removal of large-molecule per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and up to 90 per cent of mixed pollutant streams.
“Our material is designed to remove micro- and nanoplastics quickly,” said Dr Muhammad Haris, author of the study from RMIT. “There is currently no effective solution for removing nano-plastics at scale,” added lead researcher Professor Nicky Eshtiaghi.
Researchers have tested the material in industrial laundry wastewater, a primary source of synthetic microfibre pollution. The treatment successfully removed over 88 per cent of polyester microfibres alongside dyes, retaining its capture efficiency despite the presence of organic matter and surfactants.
To address the operational challenge of recovering treatment media post-processing, RMIT partnered with Canadian firm One Eye Industries to pair the adsorbent with magnetic separation technology. The prototype system allows the material to be rapidly retrieved and reused across multiple treatment cycles without generating additional secondary waste streams.
“The challenge isn’t only capturing these particles; it’s recovering the treatment material quickly and reliably after it has done its job, without creating a new waste stream,” said Roger Simonson, founder of One Eye Industries. “Combining high-performance pollutant capture with proven magnetic separation creates a much stronger pathway to real-world deployment.”
The research team has also modified its production methods, using a scalable, room-temperature manufacturing process that increases production output fivefold while reducing estimated costs by roughly 75 per cent compared to earlier iterations.
RMIT is currently collaborating with Geelong-based Indigenous enterprise Fire and Test Australasia to assess stormwater and wastewater treatment applications in community settings.
In addition, the university is partnering with Australian environmental technology company Star Water Group to target overseas markets, including California and Europe, where regulatory authorities are enforcing stricter limits on microplastics and emerging contaminants entering waterways.
- Further reading: Could bamboo replace plastic? Researchers in China think so.
