Discarded salon hair is being transformed into an oil-absorbing barrier that protects mangroves from oil spills in Rio de Janeiro

In Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay, salons are turning discarded hair into an unexpected environmental tool. Times of India reports that these hair barriers absorb oil remarkably effectively—each gram soaks up about five grams of oil while repelling water—and can remain deployed in the water for up to four months. The initiative protects mangrove ecosystems from chronic and everyday oil leaks and aims to aid the recovery of the bay's marine life.

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