Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have created a brand-new technique that uses cellulose-based materials to quickly clean up contaminated water.
This finding may have ramifications for nations with inadequate water treatment systems and help address the pervasive issue of harmful dye discharge from the textile industry.
Although essential for our health and the environment in which we live, access to clean water is not a given for everyone. Almost two billion people worldwide do not have access to clean water, according to the World Health Organization, WHO.
A research team from Chalmers University of Technology is focusing on this global issue and has created a simple way to remove toxins from water.
The Wallenberg Wood Science Center’s group, which is headed by Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry Gunnar Westman, focuses on developing novel applications for cellulose and wood-based goods.
The secret to water filtration is found in the cellulose nanocrystals, about which the researchers have amassed substantial expertise. The researchers have now discovered a way to take use of the exceptional adsorption ability that these small nanoparticles have.
“We have taken a unique holistic approach to these cellulose nanocrystals, examining their properties and potential applications. We have now created a biobased material, a form of cellulose powder with excellent purification properties that we can adapt and modify depending on the types of pollutants to be removed,” says Gunnar Westman.
Absorbtion and breaking down of toxins
In a paper recently published in the academic journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, the researchers demonstrate how the technique and substance they developed can be used to filter harmful colours from wastewater.
The study was carried out in conjunction with the Malaviya National University of Technology in Jaipur, India, where color pollution in wastewater from the textile sector are a common issue.
The procedure uses sunlight as a catalyst and doesn’t involve any pressure or heat. Gunnar Westman compares the process to adding raspberry juice to a glass of rice, which absorbs the juice and restores the transparency of the water.
“Consider a straightforward filtration system, such as a mobile container connected to the sewage line. Pollutants are absorbed as the contaminated water flows through the cellulose powder filter, and when sunlight enters the treatment system, it swiftly and effectively breaks them down.
“We feel that it might be of enormous help in nations that now have inadequate or non-existent water treatment, and it is a cost-effective and straightforward technology to set up and use,” he says.
Testing the method in India
India, a rising nation in Asia with a big textile industry, releases a lot of colors into lakes, rivers, and streams every year. Serious repercussions affect both people and the environment.
Dyes and heavy metals are present in water contaminants, which can harm skin through direct touch and raise the risk of cancer and organ damage when they get into the food chain. Moreover, photosynthesis and plant growth are both hampered, among other aspects of nature’s impact.
The next stage is to conduct field studies in India, and the Chalmers researchers are now assisting their Indian counterparts in their efforts to convince some of the nation’s small-scale enterprises to put the approach to the test in practice.
More than 80% of the dye pollutants are currently eliminated by the new process, according to laboratory testing using industrial water, and Gunnar Westman believes there are good chances to further boost the level of purification.
“Going from discharging completely untreated water to removing 80 percent of the pollutants is a huge improvement, and means significantly less destruction of nature and harm to humans. In addition, by optimising the pH and treatment time, we see an opportunity to further improve the process so that we can produce both irrigation and drinking water. It would be fantastic if we can help these industries to get a water treatment system that works, so that people in the surrounding area can use the water without risking their health,” he says.
Can be used in a wide range of pollutants
Gunnar Westman believes there are excellent potential to cure water contaminants other than colors with cellulose nanocrystals. The research team has previously demonstrated that harmful hexavalent chromium contaminants, which are frequently found in wastewater from the mining, leather, and metal sectors, can be effectively eliminated with a similar sort of cellulose-based material.
The research team is also looking into how the field of study can aid in the removal of antibiotic residues.
“There is great potential to find good water purification opportunities with this material, and in addition to the basic knowledge we have built up at Chalmers, an important key to success is the collective expertise available at the Wallenberg Wood Science Center,” he says.
