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Nanoplastics

PLASTIC IS ONE OF OUR LEAST ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS INVENTIONS. BUT NANOTECHNOLOGY MAY HELP MAKE IT GREENER, AS YOU’LL HEAR ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

IN THE NINETEEN EIGHTIES, SCIENTISTS INVENTED A TYPE OF ECO-FRIENDLIER PLASTIC CALLED P-H-B, BUT THIS PETROLEUM-FREE PRODUCT DIDN’T FULLY BIODEGRADE AND WASN’T AS STRONG AS REGULAR PLASTIC.

NOW RESEARCHER EMMANUEL GIANNELIS OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY AND HIS TEAM MAY HAVE SOLVED BOTH PROBLEMS:  THEY FOUND THAT ADDING TINY NANOPARTICLES OF CLAY TO THE PLASTIC DID MORE THAN ENHANCE ITS STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY.

GIANELLIS: THOSE NANOPARTICLES ALSO CAN ACCELERATE THE BIODEGRADATION AND ACTUALLY TAKE IT TO COMPLETION.

THE NANO-PLASTIC THEY CREATED HAS THE SAME QUALITIES AS OIL-BASED PRODUCTS, BUT BREAKS DOWN IN THE ENVIRONMENT, SO GIANNELIS HOPES IT WILL ONE DAY DO AWAY WITH HARMFUL PLASTICS THAT NEVER GO AWAY.

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