Scientists make surprising discovery about one of the world's most invasive species: 'Nature-based solutions'

An unlikely natural ally in the fight against microplastics has been discovered.

According to Mongabay, researchers in China have found that invasive water hyacinths are adept at absorbing microplastics without harm to the plant itself.

Experiments against a control group showed that plastics were mostly trapped on the outside of the water hyacinth's root systems. The few that get inside the plant are quickly separated before nutrients get to the leaves. Typically, plants exposed to microplastics suffer ill effects.

Water hyacinths are native to South America and feature attractive lavender and pink flowers. The only thing more breathtaking about them is how quickly they reproduce.

Two plants were able to produce 1,200 daughter plants in four months, according to one study. A single plant can produce up to 5,000 seeds. At that rate, any given population of water hyacinth can double in size in six days.

The research results, published in the Environmental Science and Ecotechnology journal and shared by ScienceDirect, are impressive, but challenges remain in utilizing the water hyacinth.

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Once dropped into a new foreign habitat, invasive species are able to outcompete native species, as they lack the natural checks and balances of the home they evolved in. This allows invasive species to monopolize vital resources such as space and food.

This can squeeze out native species, reduce biodiversity, and eliminate vital ecosystem services. Not long ago, Arkansas had to issue a statement on the threat water hyacinths posed to agriculture.

On the flip side, microplastics are a scourge. These small particles are the result of plastic degrading and infiltrating waterways. They'll often end up in the fish we catch, and once eaten by humans, they can cause problems with the endocrine, immune, and reproductive systems.

Despite their rapid proliferation, it may still be worth strategically deploying water hyacinths. Mongabay noted that other studies have shown that water hyacinths can also absorb heavy metals and agricultural runoff. Meanwhile, enterprising individuals have been able to take the excess biomass of the plants and turn it into briquettes and bioplastics.