Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new polymer coating for cotton fibers that can absorb air and water pollutants. Lead by Juan Hinestroza, associate professor of fiber science, the new material reportedly can filter pollutants such as styrene and bisphenol A, and is reusable. The polymer can “release” the pollutants when put under pressure or heated slowly. Another advantage is reportedly its ease of use. The material can be added to processes without new machinery or processes.

“I think the main advantage of our polymer is that we can capture the pollutants extremely fast,” said Hinestroza in the article. “We decided to benchmark our polymer with commercial solvents and we ended up being several orders of magnitude faster in capturing large amounts of pollutants without saturation.”

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