Biomimetic Laundry Microplastic Filters

Researchers in Germany have created a fish‑mouth‑inspired filter reportedly able to remove ~99% of microplastic particles from laundry wastewater while reducing clogging by ~85%. The team has filed a patent and positions the device as a retrofit or point‑of‑sewer solution to the large share of microplastics that originate from washing machines and end up in sewage sludge used on farmland. — If real and scalable, such filters could reshape municipal wastewater policy, appliance regulation (e.g., mandatory filters), and agricultural‑safety standards by cutting a major route of microplastic contamination.