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Improved Desalination Process Also Removes Toxic Metals to Produce Clean Water
UC Berkeley chemists synthesized a flexible polymer membrane incorporating nanoparticles called “porous aromatic frameworks.” The membrane selectively absorbs nearly 100% of metals such as mercury, copper, or iron during desalination, more efficiently producing clean, safe water. The membrane can incorporate a single type of tuned nanoparticle if the metal is to be recovered – or several different types, each tuned to absorb a different metal or ionic compound if multiple contaminants need to be removed in one step. (Credit: Adam Uliana/UC Berkeley)
Adapted from UC Berkeley news release by Robert Sanders
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IMAGE: UC Berkeley chemists synthesized flexible polymer membranes, like those currently used in membrane separation processes, but embedded with nanoparticles that can be tuned to absorb specific metal ions - gold. view more
Credit: Adam Uliana/UC Berkeley
Improved Desalination Process Also Removes Toxic Metals to Produce Clean Water
-Adapted from UC Berkeley news release by Bob Sanders
Desalination - the removal of salt - is only one step in the process of producing drinkable water, or water for agriculture or industry, from ocean water or wastewater. Either before or after the removal of salt, the water often has to be treated to remove boron, which is toxic to plants, and heavy metals like arsenic and mercury, which are toxic to humans. Often, the process leaves behind a toxic brine that can be difficult to dispose of.
By Tim Wogan2021-04-15T18:02:00+01:00
Selectively trapping toxic or useful ions could reduce toxicity of brine waste and offset costs
A new type of purification membrane that could simultaneously produce fresh water for drinking or agriculture and absorb specific contaminants from the brine left behind has been demonstrated by researchers in the US. The team believes the technology could potentially help to extract potable water from difficult sources without complex, multi-step processes, as well as extracting valuable minerals from water.
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As water flows through the cell, the potential drives ions across membranes tuned to catch specific target ions, while the unwanted salt passes through leaving clean water behind
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IMAGE: Using a catalyst based on ruthenium (gold ball, center), UC Berkeley chemists were able to add specific chemical groups in this case, OH (red) - to polyethylene polymer chains,. view more
Credit: UC Berkeley image by Liye Chen
While many cities and eight states have banned single-use plastics, bags and other polyethylene packaging still clog landfills and pollute rivers and oceans.
One major problem with recycling polyethylene, which makes up one-third of all plastic production worldwide, is economic: Recycled bags end up in low-value products, such as decks and construction material, providing little incentive to reuse the waste.