Fish-Bot Sucks Up Microplastics From Water

A team of scientists created a small fish robot that can eat plastic from the water.

The fish-shaped, plastic-hoovering bots are small and soft to the touch. Nacre is also known as mother-of-Pearl. The researchers wanted to make a similar material for the fish's body because Nacre can be flexible anddurable. Light propels their creation and it can absorb floating plastic particles.

What happens if a fish swallows the fishbot? The little bot is made out of a material that won't harm wildlife. The details of the research can be found in the journal.

It doesn't sound very practical on a mass scale, but we're badly in need of ways to reduce the plastic in our waters. Plastic was found in peoples' blood for the first time this year. According to a 2020 report from the International Pollutants Elimination Network, over 140 chemicals commonly found in plastics are a major global health threat.

Corporations need to stop using so much plastic and not recycle it. The use of bioplastics is problematic. The cute fishbots won't solve the problem.