The antimicrobial triclosan is widely used in personal hygiene products, textiles and plastics, but when it enters the environment via wastewater, it poses a significant threat to aquatic organisms.

A Cornell research group has developed a cyclodextrin-based fibrous membrane that in lab testing removed approximately 90% of triclosan from water. Their washable and reusable nanofiber material, fabricated via electrospinning – a process that uses an electric field to draw ultra-thin fibers from a liquid – also effectively removed other micropollutants.

And since cyclodextrin is a derivative of corn starch, it’s biodegradable and more sustainable than activated carbons, silicas and other non-renewables.