A high school student in Virginia has developed a new water filtration system designed to remove microplastics from drinking water. Mia Heller, 18, was inspired to act after learning about contamination in her local water supply and seeing the challenges of maintaining traditional filtration systems at home.
She created a prototype that uses ferrofluid, a magnetic oil, to bind to microplastic particles as water flows through a three-part system. A magnetic field then separates the particles, allowing the ferrofluid to be recovered and reused, and her tests showed the device removed about 95.52% of microplastics while recycling over 87% of the material used in the process.
The project earned recognition at the 2025 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, where Heller received a $500 award from the Patent and Trademark Office Society. She’s continuing to refine the system and is considering its use as an at-home filtration solution, with plans to further test and potentially bring the technology to market.
Source: SMITHSONIAN MAG
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