Water Hyacinths: A Natural Solution to Microplastic Pollution
Microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic often too small to see, have become a pervasive pollutant, especially in rivers, lakes, and oceans. Their removal remains a significant environmental challenge. Surprisingly, recent research points to an unexpected ally in tackling this problem: the invasive water hyacinth.
Native to South America, Eichhornia crassipes is infamous for clogging waterways and outcompeting native species, earning nicknames like “water cancer” in parts of the Middle East. Yet this invasive plant may offer a powerful, nature-based solution to microplastic contamination.
A recent study in China found that water hyacinths can remove up to 78% of polystyrene microplastics from heavily polluted water within five days. Even more impressively, the plants remained healthy throughout the process—unlike other species, such as rice or duckweed, which typically show stunted growth and reduced photosynthesis when exposed to microplastics.
Researchers discovered that most of the plastic particles were trapped in the root caps, with very little traveling up the plant. Thanks to a natural filtering structure known as the vascular ring, no plastic was found in the leaves. This has promising implications. According to Luxon Nhamo of South Africa’s Water Research Commission, the uncontaminated biomass of water hyacinths could be used for biogas production or even livestock feed, turning a global waterway nuisance into a potential environmental environmental asset, and offering a sustainable way to manage both pollution and invasive species.
