Micropollutants are harmful chemicals, often toxic. Their presence in the environment is the result of human activities, farming, fisheries, and more. In recent decades they have been working their way up the food chain, threatening health worldwide. Recently, A team led by Davide Mattia is working on a solution to remove these chemicals that is claimed to be both environmentally sound and cost-effective, using nano-particulate material. This material absorbs the chemicals in its sponge-like structure and retains it, allowing for easy clean-up and disposal.

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