Super-Absorbent 3D Printed Bikini Can Clean Oceans

Can bikini be the world's answer to ocean pollution? Researchers at UC Riverside think so.

The team has designed a bathing suit that absorbs pollution from the water as the wearer swims. According to The Economic Times, the suit is made from a material called Sponge, which is highly porous and absorbs everything but repels water. The development of the material began four years ago. Researchers claimed it can desalinate water, clear chemical and even oil spills.

The swimsuit was 3D printed after researchers collaborated with architects in Turkey who came up with the idea of turning the material into bathing suits. The suit can be used 20 times to absorb wastes and trap them in pores without allowing skin contact. It weighs only 54 grams but can absorb wastes up to 25 times its weight.

According to CNET, the material gives up its contaminants only when heated to temperatures in excess of 1,000 degree Celsius. Researchers also claimed that Sponge is inexpensive to produce.

"The Sponge itself is highly cost-efficient with the main precursor being sugar. Per gram cost of Sponge is roughly 15 cents, a reducible cost when achieving economies of scale," the team wrote while describing the swimsuit on Youreshape.