Researchers at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology have discovered a new way to clean polluted water using cellulose-based materials. This breakthrough could have a significant impact in regions where water treatment technologies are inadequate and help solve the widespread problem of toxic dye emissions from the textile industry.
Access to clean water is essential to our health and well-being, but for many it remains a challenge. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than two billion people currently live without adequate access to clean water.
This global problem is the focus of a research group from Chalmers University of Technology, which has developed a method to easily remove pollutants from water. Led by Gunnar Westmann, associate professor of organic chemistry, the group focuses on new uses for cellulose and wood-based products and is part of the Wallenberg Wood Science Center.
Researchers have gathered reliable information on cellulose nanocrystals, and herein lies the key to water purification. These tiny nanoparticles have extraordinary adsorption capacity, which researchers have now found a way to exploit.
“We have taken a uniquely holistic approach to these cellulose nanocrystals by exploring their properties and potential applications. We have now created a bio-based material, a type of cellulose powder with excellent cleaning properties that we can tailor and modify according to the types of contaminants that need to be removed,” says Gunnar Westman.
Absorbs and breaks down toxins
In a study recently published in a scientific journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry ResearchIn , the researchers demonstrate how antifouling dyes can be filtered from wastewater using a method and material developed by the group. The study was conducted in collaboration with Malawi’s National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, India, where dye contaminants in textile wastewater are a common problem.
The process does not require pressure or heat and sunlight is used to catalyze the process. Gunnar Westman likens this method to pouring raspberry juice into a glass with rice grains to make the water clear again.
“Imagine a simple cleaning system, like a portable box connected to a sewer pipe. As the dirty water passes through the cellulose dust filter, pollutants are absorbed and sunlight entering the treatment system causes them to be broken down quickly and efficiently. It is a cost-effective and simple system to set up and use, and “We can see that it can be of great benefit in countries where there is currently insufficient or no water treatment.”
Method to be tested in India
India is one of the developing countries in Asia with large textile production, where large quantities of dyes are discharged into lakes, rivers and streams every year. The consequences for humans and the environment are serious. Water contains pollutants dyes and heavy metals and can cause skin damage on direct contact and increase the risk of cancer and organ damage when it enters the food chain. In addition, nature is affected in various ways, including photosynthesis and disruption of plant growth.
Conducting field research in India is an important next step, and the Chalmers researchers are now supporting their Indian colleagues in the efforts of some small businesses in the country to test the method in real life. So far, laboratory tests on industrial water have shown that the new method removes more than 80 percent of paint contaminants, and Gunnar Westman sees good opportunities to further improve the degree of purification.
“Going from draining completely untreated water to removing 80 percent of pollutants is a huge improvement and means much less harm to nature and people. We also see an opportunity to further refine the process so that we can produce both irrigation and drinking water by optimizing pH and treatment time. “It would be great if we could help these industries get a working water purification system so they can use the water without risking the health of the people around us.”
Can be used against other types of pollutants
Gunnar Westman also sees great potential in using cellulose nanocrystals to treat water contaminants other than paints. In a previous study, the research team demonstrated that toxic hexavalent chromium contaminants, often found in wastewater from the mining, leather and steel industries, can be successfully removed using a similar type of cellulose-based material. The group is also investigating how the research area can help clean up antibiotic residues.
“There is great potential to find good opportunities for water treatment with this material, and the collective expertise available at the Wallenberg Wood Science Center, in addition to the fundamental knowledge we have accumulated at Chalmers, is an important key to success,” he says.
Source: Port Altele
