Researchers have discovered that, egg whites can be used to remove salt and microplastics from seawater. Scientists tested different ingredients on bread recipes mixed with carbon, and saw that the protein in egg whites created the perfect structure for filtration. the egg whites were then converted into a type of airgel .
Which is a lightweight and porous material, that can be used in water filtration energy storage, and thermal insulation. the researcher said that when egg whites are freeze-dried and heated in an environment without oxygen, they create a structure of interconnected strands of carbon fibers and sheets of graphene. the resulting material can remove salt and microplastics from seawater with up to 99 efficiency.
The filtration process requires only gravity and has no water wastage, compared to reverse osmosis. Which requires more energy important excess water for operation . scientists said that activated carbon is one of the cheapest materials used for water purification. but the new filter is much better. researchers are now focused on refining the filtration process. so it can be used in water purification on a larger scale.