Smelly algae that traps microplastics could transform how we clean drinking water

Orange scented algae makes plastics clump fast

Researchers are developing a special orange scented algae to tackle microplastics in drinking water and wastewater. The algae repels water so microplastics stick to it, then clump together for easy removal. After collection, scientists plan to recycle the captured plastics into new materials, aiming to clean waterways while creating a circular reuse pathway.