MicroTract: Revolutionizing Chitosan-Based Microfiber Removal

Abstract

This experiment aimed to create a biodegradable pill that effectively removes microfibers from the digestive system, as well as to investigate the effects of chitosan, lecithin, and citric acid on microplastics in the human body. The specific guiding research question selected for this topic was, "Which capsule formulation would remove the most microfibers?" The hypothesis was that a pill containing 50% chitosan, 25% lecithin, and 25% citric acid would provide the best microfiber removal efficiency. Fifteen trials were carried out with five capsule formulations, all under identical conditions. Clumps were formed, pH levels changed, the mass of fibers captured on filters was measured, clumping was visually documented, and sediment was collected. Interestingly, capsule 1, which contained 100% pure chitosan, had an extremely low removal efficiency (8.23%) and high variability. This implies a sort of synergy among the three materials. The capsule with 33% chitosan, 33% lecithin, and 33% citric acid had the highest average removal efficiency (23.04%), closely followed by the 50% chitosan, 25% lecithin, and 25% citric acid formulation (21.64%). While the hypothesis predicted that a mixture of 50% chitosan, 25% lecithin, and 25% citric acid would be the most effective, the capsule containing equal amounts of each material achieved the highest removal rate. These findings indicate that balanced proportions of all three components improve microfiber removal and highlight the potential of biodegradable capsules to effectively remove microfibers from the human digestive system.