Human hair can be used to clean up pollutants, says Belgium-based NGO

New Delhi

Human hair is capable of absorbing environmental pollutants, according to a non-profit organisation based in Belgium. The Hair Recycle Project, conducted by the non-profit called Dung Dung, is aimed towards developing waste recovery tactics and how they can be used to boost the economy.

The project found that a kilogram of human hair can absorb around seven to eight litres of oil and hydrocarbons. According to the scientists, this can be used to absorb the oil and hydrocarbons which contribute towards polluting the air and can even be used to stop water pollution and oil spills.

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"Our products are all the more ethical as they are manufactured locally... they are not imported from the other side of the planet," says project co-founder Patrick Janssen according to AFP.

"They are made here to deal with local problems," he added.

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The study also found that the human hair is a rich source of nitrogen and as a result, it can be used as a fertiliser. With most of the hair coming through donations, the source is limited as of now but Reuters reported that companies around the world are experimenting to find the various uses.

“One strand can support up to 10 million times its own weight. As well as absorbing fat and hydrocarbons, it is water-soluble and highly elastic due to its keratin fibres,” the official website of the Hair Recycle Project stated. It added that further tests are currently being conducted.