Flowers all around are in bloom, and the pollen count is high. But pollen can help clean our oceans as well as other stretches of water.
A scientific team from Singapore and South Korea has developed a new sponge made from pollen grain.
First, they liberated the gel-like substance which was freeze-dried for higher porosity and stabilized through exposure to heat.
The resultant material was then coated in fatty acid, making the surface hydrophobic. The end product?
5cm sponges made from renewable natural materials. Being hydrophobic, the sponges are particularly effective at removing oil from contaminated water.
If saturated they can be wrung out and reused at least 10 times. And the best thing: they are fully biodegradable.
