Dissolving micropollutants into thin air
Micropollutants enter streams, rivers and lakes from consumer products such as cosmetics, cookware and textiles, but also from chemicals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
Once they are in the water cycle, they cannot biologically degrade – i.e. with wastewater treatment plants – and gradually accumulate over time. “Micropollution is a problem everywhere,” says Dr. Silvan Staufert, co-founder and CTO of the Zurich-based start-up Oxyle AG. “They are a very insidious form of pollution. It’s also very difficult to prove.”