Bhindi, Imli, Methi Hold Key To Safe Drinking Water: Study

A new research presented to the American Chemical Society has offered an alternative to synthetic chemicals used in the removal of microplastics in water. That alternative, according to the research, is present inside the vegetables we all eat very often - bhindi, methi and imlii. Bhindi, also known as okra in English, is quite gooey and it is precisely this goo that can remove textile-based pollutants and even microorganisms from water when combined with Fenugreek (methi) and Tamarind (imli), the study by a group of scientists from Texas said.

Microplastics have added to the huge problem of dealing with plastic waste, as eight billion tons of it has been produced on this planet since the 1950s. While recycling of plastics does happen, more than ninety per cent of it finds its way into oceans, waterways, the air, soil, and even our food. Even plastic water bottles can contain the substance if they are overused. The impact of microplastics on humans is still being studied, but research suggests that they can be carcinogenic, which means it can potentially increase the risk of cancer.

Currently, microplastic is filtered out of wastewater in two ways. First, by removing the ones that skim on the top of the surface but this accounts for very little. The rest is removed using sticky chemicals called flocculants that cause the particles to stick together and sink to the bottom. The main problem is that flocculants themselves can break down into toxic chemicals.

A scientific team from Texas' Tarleton State University found that the chemical compounds found in the goo of bhindi when combined with other compounds found in methi and imli can filter microplastics found in both ocean water as well as fresh water. While further studies have to be done, lead researcher Rajani Srinivasan has said that to enable greater access to clean and safe drinking water, the process will have to be commercialised and scaled up.