New Organic Compound Removes Radioactive Contaminants From Water
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 10:31
in Physics & Chemistry
A combination of forest byproducts and crustacean shells may be the key to removing radioactive materials from drinking water, researchers from North Carolina State University have found.The new material is a combination of hemicellulose, a byproduct of forest materials, and chitosan, which are crustacean shells that have been crushed into a powder. It not only absorbs water, but can actually extract contaminates, such as radioactive iodide, from the water itself. The material forms a solid foam and has potential applications beyond radioactive materials. The researchers found that it has the ability to remove heavy metals, such as arsenic, from water or salt from sea water to make clean drinking water. read more