Because of the small size of microbeads, our current filtration systems are not up to the task of capturing these pollutants before they reach our waterways.  Scientists have begun to develop better systems in hopes to improve water quality and decrease the amounts of microplastics entering the water. Different types of filters are being designed to filter microbeads. Some need more adjustment and improvements. A few well known filters for microbeads are Boyan Slat's Ocean Cleanup Array, Elutriation filtrations³, Depuration filtrations², and the Munich Plastic Settlement Separator. Each of these filtrations were used for filtering different sediments, but are now being redesigned to filter microbeads. 

The Boyan Slat's Ocean Cleanup Array filter uses a angled booms that attract small plastic like funnels. It filters out marine life and stores small plastics. As for Elutriation filtration³ the microplastics are caught in mesh filters. Once they are caught Sodium iodide is added to further separate plastics from sand particles. Depuration² and Munich Plastic Settlement Separator² are similar these filtrations extract small plastics from sediments. Both were designed to remove microplastics from marine life. Filtration systems are one way that will drastically decrease microbeads. And thanks to advance technology this could save the environment.

Some of the reason we need to have microbeads/ micro plastics and other types of plastics removed from our waters is because it compromises the health of humans, wildlife and the livelihoods that depend on a healthy ocean, lakes and rivers; threatens tourism and recreation, and the critical dollars they add to our local economies; and generates steep bills for retrieval and removal. These different filtration machines can work well in the Great Lakes that have been contaminated by microbeads. The best filter would be the Munich Plastic Settlement Separator and Elutriation. These two have been used in lakes and showed a big impact in removing microbeads.  Other ways to reduce microbead contamination in the Great Lake is by the help of the government and the community to take action.

1. Researchers submit patent application, "marine microplastic removal tool", for approval. 2014. Politics & Government Week: 9409
2. Carr, Steve A., Jin Liu, and Arnold G. Tesoro. 2016. Transport and fate of microplastic particles in wastewater treatment plants. Water Research 91 : 174-82.
3. Zhu, X. 2015. Optimization of elutriation device for filtration of microplastic particles from sediment. Marine Pollution Bulletin 92 (1-2): 69.