- Researchers from Tarleton State University found that natural polysaccharides extracted from okra and fenugreek can effectively remove microplastics from polluted water.
- The okra extract removed up to 80% of microplastics from ocean water, while fenugreek worked best in groundwater, eliminating up to 90%.
- These plant-based powders could offer an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic polyacrylamide, potentially reducing long-term environmental and health risks.
Microplastics may be small, but they’re becoming a major problem for the health of the planet and, potentially, human health, too, as seemingly every day a new study is published showing that microplastics could have the potential to do everything from altering gut bacteria to damaging livers. With an estimated 14 million tons of plastic entering the world’s oceans each year, it can feel like there’s no solution in sight. But a team of researchers is looking to change that with a pretty great solution — and it’s all thanks to some slime from okra and gel made from fenugreek.
In 2025, researchers from Tarleton State University in Texas published their findings in the journal ACS Omega, examining how okra and fenugreek extracts could serve as a novel solution to our microplastic problem, rather than relying on polyacrylamide, a commonly used synthetic chemical in water treatment that is not biodegradable.
To assess how the natural options compared, the team extracted plant-based polymers, known as polysaccharides, from okra and fenugreek, which form sticky, gel-like solutions in water. They further processed them into powders. They then tested the powders: once with only okra powder, once with only fenugreek, and once more with a mixture of both, in water collected from around Texas that was contaminated with microplastics.
In water, the okra and fenugreek polymers bind to microplastics, forming larger clumps that become sufficiently heavy to sink to the bottom, where they can be easily separated from the water. When the team analyzed the clumps, they found that the polymers captured common plastics such as polystyrene and PVC.
The researchers found that the okra powder worked best for removing microplastics from ocean water, with the powder removing 80% of the microplastics, while the fenugreek powder was most effective in groundwater, removing between 80-90% of the microplastics. The team also found that a 50:50 mixture of okra and fenugreek powders was effective in freshwater, removing 77% of microplastics.
As for why the powder behaves differently across different water sources, the team hypothesized that the plant polymers reacted differently with the type, size, and shape of the microplastics present in each sample.
With these findings, the team believes that the extracts could one day replace synthetic polyacrylamide to instead be a more eco-friendly alternative. “Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water,” Rajani Srinivasan, the lead author of the study, shared, “thus reducing long-term health risks to the population.”
