Researchers have developed a new way to filter toxins like oil, estrogen, and microplastics out of water sources using what they call "smart rust."

By pouring specially treated rust into water and using a magnet to extract it, water sources can be cleaned of a variety of pollutants like oil, nano- and microplastics, and the herbicide glyphosate.

MAUI FIRES: EMERGENCY OFFICIAL WHO DECLINED TO SOUND SIRENS RESIGNS

A team led by Marcus Halik, a professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany, has now found a way to target estrogen as a pollutant in water.

Estrogen pollution can come from multiple sources, including urine from women who take birth control pills, as well as livestock excrement and sewage. Estrogen in water has been known to contribute to the "feminization of aquatic species" and has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer in women and infertility in men, according to the National Institutes for Health.

"Our 'smart rust' is cheap, nontoxic, and recyclable," Halik said, according to Phys.org. "And we have demonstrated its use for all kinds of contaminants, showing the potential for this technique to improve water treatment dramatically."

Specific pollutants can be targeted through modified microscopic particles, known as nanoparticles, on the surface of the rust, or iron oxide. Each layer of particles can be altered to attract and bind the chemical makeup of different substances, which can then be pulled out of the water by a magnet.

The particles also exist in what is called a superparamagnetic form, meaning they are attracted to magnets, but are not attracted to each other in order to avoid clustering.

"After we add a layer of the molecules to the iron oxide cores, they look like hairs sticking out of these particles' surfaces," Halik said. Those hairs act to trap the particles of pollutants so they can be removed from the water.

The technique has been successful in the past at removing crude oil, plastics, and pesticides from water, and has now been modified to target estrogens.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Estrogens exist in lower amounts than other pollutants but still have an adverse effect on plant and animal reproduction and metabolism.

Researchers are confident that, despite the trace amounts, the surface area of the nanoparticles will be large enough to attract estrogen in real-world water sources, and have found success in lab trials.