The Atlantic County Utilities Authority has installed a new microplastic removal system at its Atlantic City wastewater treatment plant, using technology designed by Princeton University alumni Nathanial Banks and Yidian Liu through their startup PolyGone Systems. Installed this week after a two-year pilot program, the system is the first of its kind in the world and is fully funded by a federal grant.
The technology replicates ultrahydrophobic plants found in wetlands that microplastics naturally stick to, allowing the contaminants to be removed from water with low material and energy use. Microplastics, which do not biodegrade, persist in the environment and accumulate in living organisms. The utility discharges treated effluent into the Atlantic Ocean, making removal a priority to protect marine life and human health.
“We’re discharging to the ocean. So, if we’re not removing the plastic that’s in our wastewater, we’re putting it back into the environment,” said Matt DeNafo, president of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority. “It’s getting into the fish that we’re eating, even the water that we’re bathing. So, it really becomes an issue for human health.”
No federal or state regulations currently require microplastic removal from wastewater or drinking water. Microplastics enter treatment plants through industrial discharge, stormwater runoff carrying particles from items like vehicle tires, and household washing of synthetic clothes. Research has detected microplastics in human blood, brain tissue and other organs, though scientists do not yet know the specific health harms.
PolyGone’s founders said the technology removed more than 98% of microplastics in a controlled lab environment. Data for the commercial system is not yet available, but they are confident it will continue to remove a majority of particles, with effectiveness increasing as particle size decreases.
“I think this really marks a new era for treatment innovation, where we’re able to build very large, scalable systems that use a very small amount of material and very low energy to treat very challenging contaminants,” said Banks, co-founder and CEO of PolyGone Systems. “And, having the first system in the world for that in Atlantic County, it’s quite unusual.”
Co-founder and chief operating officer Yidian Liu credited the system’s sleek design to her and Banks’ background as architecture students. “We really like how some of the sleek products such as the iPhone, how they were able to resolve very complex problems with very simple but sleek-looking designs, and we want to really emphasize that in how we design the Polypods,” she said. The startup has also launched a similar system at a California wastewater plant and is exploring scaling down the technology for residential use.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The installation represents the first commercial-scale deployment of a dedicated microplastic removal technology at a wastewater plant, offering a potential model for other utilities worldwide.
- Microplastics are increasingly detected in human tissues, and while specific health risks remain under study, this step addresses a growing environmental and public health concern.
- The system’s success could influence future regulation; currently no US state or federal rules require microplastic removal from wastewater.
Background
Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments that result from the breakdown of larger plastic items and do not biodegrade. They enter waterways through industrial discharge, runoff, and household wastewater, and accumulate in the food chain. Research has found them in human organs, but the health effects are still being investigated. Until now, no wastewater treatment plant has used a system specifically designed to capture microplastics. The PolyGone technology, developed at Princeton University and spun out as a startup, uses biomimicry of wetland plants to attract and remove plastic particles with low energy input.
Key Perspectives
Nathanial Banks, co-founder and CEO of PolyGone Systems: Describes the installation as marking a new era for treatment innovation, with scalable systems using minimal material and energy to tackle difficult contaminants.
Matt DeNafo, president of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority: Stresses the necessity of removing microplastics before discharge to the ocean, linking it to human health and ecosystem protection.
Yidian Liu, co-founder and COO of PolyGone Systems: Highlights the technology’s sleek, minimalist design, drawing inspiration from consumer electronics.
What to Watch
- Performance data from the commercial system, which the startup says will be monitored to confirm removal rates in real-world conditions.
- Whether the project spurs regulatory action at the state or federal level to mandate microplastic removal from wastewater.
- Expansion of the technology to other utilities and potential residential-scale systems that could reduce microplastic pollution at the household level.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedMatt DeNafo said: “We’re discharging to the ocean. So, if we’re not removing the plastic that’s in our wastewater, we’re putting it back into the environment,” and “It’s getting into the fish that we’re eating, even the water that we’re bathing. So, it really becomes an issue for human health.”WHYY: ““We’re discharging to the ocean. So, if we’re not removing the plastic that’s in our wastewater, we’re putting it back into the environment,” said Matt DeNafo, president of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority. “It’s getting into the fish that we’re eating, even the water that we’re bathing. So, it really becomes an issue for human health.””
- SupportedBanks said: “I think this really marks a new era for treatment innovation, where we’re able to build very large, scalable systems that use a very small amount of material and very low energy to treat very challenging contaminants,” and “And, having the first system in the world for that in Atlantic County, it’s quite unusual.”WHYY: ““I think this really marks a new era for treatment innovation, where we’re able to build very large, scalable systems that use a very small amount of material and very low energy to treat very challenging contaminants,” said Banks, co-founder and CEO of PolyGone Systems. “And, having the first system in the world for that in Atlantic County, it’s quite unusual.””
- SupportedLiu said: “We really like how some of the sleek products such as the iPhone, how they were able to resolve very complex problems with very simple but sleek-looking designs, and we want to really emphasize that in how we design the Polypods.”WHYY: ““We really like how some of the sleek products such as the iPhone, how they were able to resolve very complex problems with very simple but sleek-looking designs, and we want to really emphasize that in how we design the Polypods,” she said.”
- SupportedThe headline says the Atlantic City wastewater plant installed the world’s first system of its kind to remove microplastics.WHYY: “The Atlantic City wastewater treatment facility said the new initiative aims to divert microplastics from the ocean, protecting marine life and humans. The utility said the installation, which is fully funded by a federal grant, is the first of its kind in the world.”
- Partly supportedThe summary says the technology uses biomimetic surfaces to capture pollutants before they reach the ocean.WHYY: “The technology designed by PolyGone Systems, a startup founded by Nathanial Banks and Yidian Liu, replicates ultrahydrophobic plants found in wetlands that microplastics easily stick to so the contaminant can be removed from water.”
- SupportedThe system was installed this week after a two-year pilot program.WHYY: “The system was installed this week after a two-year pilot program.”
- SupportedThe installation is fully funded by a federal grant.WHYY: “The utility said the installation, which is fully funded by a federal grant, is the first of its kind in the world.”
- SupportedBanks and Liu are Princeton alumni who designed the technology through their startup PolyGone Systems.WHYY: “The technology designed by PolyGone Systems, a startup founded by Nathanial Banks and Yidian Liu”
- SupportedThe founders said the technology removed more than 98% of microplastics in a controlled lab environment.WHYY: “PolyGone’s founders say the technology has been able to remove more than 98% of microplastics in the control lab environment.”
- SupportedThere is no commercial-system data yet, but the founders are confident it will continue to remove a majority of microplastics.WHYY: “There’s no data for the commercial system, but the founders say they’re confident it will continue to remove a majority of microplastics.”
- SupportedNo federal or state regulations currently require microplastic removal from wastewater or drinking water.WHYY: “There currently are no state or federal regulations that require the removal of microplastics in wastewater or drinking water.”
- SupportedPolyGone launched a similar system at a California wastewater plant and is interested in scaling its technology down for residential use.WHYY: “Liu and Banks have launched a similar system for a wastewater treatment plant in California, and say they’re also interested in scaling down their technology for residential uses.”
